La Maison des Chats
by AuraFelix
Summary: Can a romanticist's heart escape the realism threatening to ruin every emotion one can develop upon meeting their other half? Will it be able to remain ignorant to the aspects of reality in order create a world of self-perception? Or will it suffer a defeat when faced with the brutality of the real world? In a place where love is for the highest bidder, can a pure heart really win?
1. A Journey to a New World

"Mister Levi! Feeling seasick?"

Levi looked up from the dark waves roaring under the ship. The deep water under him, was almost invisible in the night, but the few lights on the ship and the full moon lit up in the darkness. There was no land in sight, and he had been studying the many stars before he was interrupted by the taller brown-haired woman.

"No, I was simply watching the sky, if you must know," Levi answered with his thick British accent, looking back over his shoulder at the figure, partly hidden in the shadows.

"There's no shame in being seasick, if this is your first time travelling by sea," the woman said in a teasing tone, walking up to him and leaning against the railings on the ship.

"Hanji-"

"_Captain _Hanji," the woman cut him off, "You have to address me properly, when on my ship."

"How long have we known each other?" Levi huffed and looked at the waves again.

"About ten years, I'd say," she answered and followed his eyes to her beloved sea.

"So tell me, why should I begin addressing you as Captain now?"

Hanji answered him with a smile and a single laugh, as the silence set between them, and only the sounds of the waves were audible. Normally, she wasn't one to stay silent, but being on sea she would often take the opportunity to enjoy the many sounds from the ocean. They had known each other for many years, and awkward silence didn't exist between old friends.

The year was 1900, the beginning of the new century, the summer of love. But Levi didn't care for such things as love. He was a painter, and the only love in his life, was for beauty. Beauty in it's simplest way - the nature, the ocean, the sunset. He had an eye for beauty and would capture it in his paintings, which was probably the reason for his success back in England. He was an acknowledged painter, especially in London, where he lived in a large apartment near the River Thames.

Now he was seeking new inspiration - along with spreading his name across Europe - and Hanji had offered to take him to France on her ship. She would often sail between Paris and London, selling tea and perfume, among other things, between the two cities. She knew Paris like the back of her hand, despite her British roots, and she knew a lot of people in Paris due to her social and chatty personality. This was an opportunity Levi just couldn't refuse.

It wasn't that he didn't make plenty of money on his paintings back in England, but lately he hadn't felt inspired to paint. He knew it wasn't something he could force, and he refused to sell a painting he wasn't completely satisfied with. He needed fresh air under his wings and new surroundings. He wasn't really sure if Paris would be that different from London, but it was worth a try. Hanji often stayed in Paris during the summer, and he would be able to stay at her home there without thinking about paying rent.

"I hope you don't expect this trip to be entirely free," Hanji said after a long moment of silence.

"What are you talking about?" Levi huffed, annoyed that the silence had been broken.

"When we go ashore, we need to reload the cargo and travel to Paris by train. I expect your assistance."

Levi refused to answer, thinking that he would rather have paid her for the trip than help her with her dirty work. His hands were made to create beauty, not load her stupid tea-leaves and biscuits from her dirty ship. He had never really done any physically hard work, and he preferred to keep it that way.

"I am not setting my feet in your hold. I don't even want to know when was the last time that place was cleaned properly," he sneered and sent her a warning glare, telling her not to push him any further.

"Well, you could always try to bribe one of my men to do your part, but I doubt those lazy dogs will settle for anything less than 80 francs," Hanji said with a calm smile on her face, as she inhaled the smell of the sea and studied the waves.

"Is that a lot?" Levi asked, not familiar with the French currency.

"That's the price of a luxury hooker," Hanji answered and winked at her friends.

"You know I have no interest in such things," Levi said coldly, straightening his back and his cravat.

"I know you are interested in beauty, and believe me, French girls are extremely beautiful. Not like those lousy whores back in London, French quality is a whole other thing," she teased, and when Levi didn't answer, she continued; "You were looking for new inspiration, weren't you?"

"There is nothing beautiful in selling your body for dirty money," Levi said, trying to keep his calm, but Hanji was seriously pushing his buttons. What could she possibly know about beauty?

"But isn't money pretty much what you live for?"

"I live for beauty," Levi stated with a proud tone, "It is simply just my luck, that the beauty I capture and create, provides me with a lot of money."

Hanji sent him a sceptical look, but she didn't say anything. They spend another long moment in silence before she jumped up, collecting her telescope from a leather container, fastened to her belt. She looked through the spyglass before letting out a joyful yell.

"If you're going to bribe my men, I suggest you do it now," she said to Levi before running across the deck and up the stairs to the wheel of the ship. She rang a bell multiple times, while yelling; "Land ahoy!"

Levi looked in the direction in which Hanji had pointed her telescope, but he couldn't see anything yet. The crowd slowly woke up and presented themselves before their Captain, as she ordered them around. Levi watched as they executed her orders in such a slow pace, that he almost felt like doing it himself. It she was right about them being lazy dogs, or if they knew they were still too far from land to be able to spot it without telescope, and they therefore didn't felt like hurrying, he wasn't sure. But he would never allow such laziness, had he been in charge.

Levi slowly walked along the railing towards the wheel, where Hanji still stood proud and energetic, yelling out commands. He looked at her subordinates as he walked past them, all of them ignoring him and his disgusted glare. As the sun began to rise at the horizon, he could see how dirty they all were - and how dirty the ship was! Right now, Levi wished he was travelling by train, no matter what he the price had been. It was to late now, and luckily they would soon be ashore.

He approached the brown-haired woman, who had turned silent, looking out over the sea as the sun rose and changed the dark waves to something more gentle, beautifully covered in golden colours. Levi stood next to her, following her eyes to the transformation of the ocean. He took it all in; the sounds of the brushing water, the salty smell and the many beautiful colours as they danced over the waves under the ship. This was truly beautiful and truly inspirational.

He let a absent-minded smile cross his face as he lost himself in the beauty of the ocean. This felt like a new beginning, a new era, and he was ready to paint the many beauties of this new world, which already seemed so different from the well-known streets back in London.

"I really hope, that one day you'll meet someone who'll be able to make you smile like that," Hanji said, startling Levi who had been lost in thoughts about the sight in front of him. He regained control over his face fast, and sent her an unimpressed look after his usual cold expression had settled on his face once again.

"I would not count on that," he breathed, and straight ahead with his head turned slightly upwards, just to emphasize his self-control.

As they finally reached the port, Hanji got busy ordering her men around, and Levi managed to stay out of her sight, only carrying his own luggage to the train. He didn't feel bad about letting the others carry the rest, since he felt he had plenty to carry himself. He had tried to only pack what he needed, but the easel and all his painting-equipment weighed more than he thought, and he had to walk back to the ship to get his suitcase with all his clothes. He cursed himself for having to bring that much along, as he knew he could just buy a new easel and paint when they arrived in Paris. But that wouldn't really do; he had always used the same easel, and it would be a bother to get used to a new one. And his paint-brushes were used through many years now, and they suited him perfectly. No, it was a good decision to bring it along.

Hanji sat down next to him on the train as it departed. Levi looked out the window, not acknowledging her presence, as the train drifted through the landscape. It did look a lot like the landscapes outside London, but it was a lot sunnier and not a single cloud were in sight. Back in London, it would rain through most seasons, and he had spend many days painting the grey and wet days.

"Still planning to stay in my flat in Paris?" Hanji asked as she looked out the window over his shoulder.

"Yes - after cleaning it thoroughly and making sure you don't keep any rats," Levi said in an expressionless tone, still looking out the window.

"Be my guest," Hanji smirked, feeling like winning the jackpot as she knew the condition of the apartment.

By the next train-stop, an elder couple boarded the train and asked if they could sit across the two old friends. Levi looked at them with a cocked eye-brow as he didn't understand a single French word, and Hanji had to answer them and apologize for her friend's impolite glare. They sat down in the empty seats without daring to look at Levi, who had turned his head to look out the window again.

"You should really learn to speak French," Hanji stated, sending the elderly couple a friendly smile.

"The only French I am interested in, is the French currency," Levi huffed and drove a hand through his black locks.

"Is that so? Then how are you gonna sell your paintings?" Hanji enquired, turning in the seat to face Levi, who still refused to spare her a look.

"The paintings are going to sell themselves, just like back in London. As I just said, the only French I need to know, is the French currency," Levi answered before finally turning to look at his friend, who met him with a smile of disbelief.

"Then how are you gonna communicate with your costumers?" she asked, curious about the painter's plans.

"That is exactly why I'm staying at your place," Levi said with a cocky smile, "What - you didn't think I would do so out of simple stinginess, did you?"

"Yeah, you actually had me fooled there," Hanji sighed, but the smile never left her face, "So you want _me _to be your translator when needed?"

"Yes."

"Such trust, Levi, that isn't like you at all!" she yelled, making the elderly couple jump in their seats. "I assume you want me to show you around and get you jobs too, then?"

"Now that you mention it," Levi answered, smirking at her again. Hanji locked eyes with him for a moment, trying to figure out if he was serious or not. They hadn't spoken much about his plans for when they arrived at Paris, and it was quite unusual for Levi to rely on other people, even Hanji whom he had known for so many years. Apparently, he wanted to try something new, and she could definitely give him something new to work with.

"I guess I could do that, after you've cleaned my flat," she smirked, looking out the window with a satisfied look in her eyes, "But remember - I've been sailing the seas for many years now, and my preferred locations are affected by that. But all right, I'll make sure you get your hands full."

* * *

Later that day, they arrived at Hanji's apartment in France. It was very small, less than half the size of Levi's home back in London, but it was cheap and located in a quiet yet central part of Paris. By first eye-cast, Levi had to walk out in protest by the sight that met him. The place was beyond dirty, it was disgusting. Hanji laughed sheepishly at his reaction as Levi walked away from the apartment to walk around for a few moments to calm himself down.

Levi ordered his friend to gather the trash and throw almost everything away, while he wrapped a handkerchief around his hair and another one around his face to cover his mouth and nose, before he grabbed a broom and began gathering the dirt and take down the spider-webs.

Hanji wasn't much help to him, and since she had trouble staying focused on the task, he sent her out to bye groceries and whiskey - he knew he would need it for later.

None of them had slept much that night, since they both had spend most of the night looking at the sea from the ship, but Levi was far from tired. He wouldn't be able to sleep in a place this dirty anyway, but he didn't feel the need for rest before he had seen just a bit of Paris. The sun rising over the sea and the landscapes outside Paris had teased his passion, and he wanted more. He wanted to see the beauty in this country, and he wanted to experience Paris. He wanted more inspiration; he wanted to feed all his senses to the point where he wouldn't be able to take any more in. And then he wanted to let it all out through the paint-brush, to recreate the beauty he had experienced.

When Hanji returned with the groceries - mostly contending alcohol in different shapes - Levi was almost done cleaning the place. He had opened all the windows to get rid of the rotten smell that lingered in the apartment and he had emptied a corner of the living-room to set up his easel. They unpacked their clothes and sat down on the out-worn couch in the almost empty room. Hanji handed over a bottle of whiskey and grabbed her own bottle of rum. She let out a loud sigh of satisfaction after taking a large sip, and Levi sent her a disgusted look, as he went to the kitchen to grab a glass for his own beverage.

"So how do you like Paris so far?" Hanji asked him, after taking another sip of her rum.

"I have barely seen anything but your dirty apartment," Levi shrugged and emptied his glass, wishing she had bought a whiskey of higher quality. But it would do for now. He poured another glass and took a sip.

"You want me to show you around the neighbourhood?" Hanji offered and threw her legs on the coffee-table, making it squeak under under her big leather-boots. Levi looked at the boots with a frown on his face, and turned in his seat.

"Thank you, but I think I will take a nap," he said and got up after emptying his glass, "You better clean that table before you do anything else. And do something about those dirty boots of yours too."

"Yes sir!" Hanji yelled after him, her voice dripping with sarcasm, as he turned to the bedroom and closed the door behind him.

Levi sighed as he was finally alone in the small bedroom. He removed the cravat and cracked his neck and shoulders, feeling all his tensions loosen up. It had been a long trip, and he felt so tired now that the place was clean and habitable. He walked over to the window and closed the curtains while leaving the window open for the warm summer-breeze to fill the room.

He pulled off his shoes and pants and let his sore body land on the bed without removing his shirt. He fell asleep instantly, while thinking about the long and hot shower he would need as soon as he woke up.

A couple of hours went by before Hanji gently woke him up. She placed a glass of whiskey on the night-stand next to the bed while poking his cheek until he opened his eyes. He had slept peacefully and couldn't remember a single dream.

"The shower's ready for you," she said as he looked at her through half-lidded eyes. He sat up and rubbed his eyes, before taking a sip of the whiskey and looking at her.

"What on earth are you wearing?" he asked, looking her up and down with a puzzled look. He was used to her wearing manly clothes, since dresses and frilly skirts wouldn't really do on a ship, but right now, she didn't look like a woman in men's clothes; she looked completely like a man. Her hair was gathered in a tight, low ponytail, much unlike the loose one she used to wear, where most of her hair had separated from the rest and fell softly around her face. She was wearing a nice and simple suit with a very clean white shirt and it looked like she was wearing some kind of corset, making it seem like she didn't have breasts at all. Not that she had too much to begin with, but normally she would proudly show off her cleavage.

"You look like a-"

"Man?" Hanji asked with a smirk, "Thank you!"

"Why are you dressed like that?" Levi asked, still too tired to deal with his old friend suddenly cross-dressing. He took another sip of his whiskey.

"We're going out tonight, as soon as you're ready. I'm gonna show you my favourite bar," she answered and signalled for him to get out of bed.

"That doesn't really explain why you're dressed like that," Levi pointed out, as he emptied his glass and got out of bed, heading for the shower.

"They rarely let females inside, so I'm dressing up like this every time I feel like going. It's worth it though, the entertainment there is splendid," Hanji answered, and Levi let a tired sound escape his throat before closing the bath-room door behind him.

He removed his shirt and underwear, and turned on the shower, chills running down his spine as he felt the cold water on his back. He really hoped the water would heat up soon. While washing his hair in the still cold water, Hanji knocked on the door and opened it before he could manage to tell her to bugger off.

"By the way," she said as her head poked through the door, not caring about what would meet her on the other side, "You have to address me as Mr. Darcy when we get there."

"And why would I do that?" Levi hissed, through gritted teeth as he let the cold water run through his hair.

"They know me as Mr. Darcy at the bar. If you call me Hanji we'll get kicked out, and if you ruin my reputation, I assure you, you'll have to find another place to live," she said in a firm tone, making sure he understood the seriousness.

"Yeah, whatever - _Mister Darcy,_" Levi huffed, and the usual joyful expression settled on Hanji's face again. She stood at the door-frame for a moment, looking at Levi's shadow behind the shower-curtain. He could be a cold-heated bastard, but she knew he was a good guy. They had been friends for so long now, and she knew that no matter how much he tried to hide it, he respected her. It was exciting to be back at Paris again, she had missed it a lot during the cold winter, and it would be fun to have Levi around while she was here.

"Do you mind?" Levi snapped, shutting off the water and removing the shower-curtain to send her an angry glare and hide his private parts.

"Come on, we're all men here," she teased, and left the bathroom before he could spit another venomous comment at her. He sighed as the door closed behind her, thinking that if she kept teasing him like that, it would be a long vacation in Paris.

After drying his hair and body, he picked out a black suit much alike the one Hanji wore. Throwing his old clothes away to be cleaned, he picked a fresh cravat from the drawer and studied himself in the mirror. A smirk settled on his face, as he eyed his own reflection. It had been long since the last time he wore a suit like this, and he had to say, he looked quite good.

Hanji appeared behind him, looking at herself in the mirror before pulling out a round box from behind her back.

"You look good, Mr. Levi," she complimented him, before handing over the box.

"You don't look too bad yourself, Mr. Darcy," Levi smirked, and opened the box. His mood was quite high by now, aided by Hanji's cheap whiskey. From the box, he drew a black top-hat which Hanji placed gently on his head, cocking it a bit to the side. Levi turned to look at himself in the mirror once again, while Hanji placed a similar top-hat on her own head.

"Are you ready to go?" she asked, and patted his shoulder. Levi took a sip from his glass, and realized that he had almost emptied the entire bottle over a few hours. No wonder he was in such a good mood.

"Yes," Levi answered and grabbed his gloves, moving towards the door, followed by Hanji. They walked down the streets of Paris, bathed in the warm evening-sun, and Hanji told him about the area as they passed through little shops and café's, waving at people she knew and walking like she owned the street.

"You're quite familiar with this area," Levi pointed out, wondering how she could act like she had always lived here, when she spend so much time at sea.

"It is like a second home for me. Or third, if you count the ship in," she smiled and turned around a corner, "Or fourth if you count _La Maison des Chats_ in."

"Maison des pardon me?"

"The bar we're heading at. Well, it's not really just a bar, it's more like a nightclub - and a dance-hall," she added, and when Levi sent her a look of disbelief, she added further; "And a brothel."

"Are you taking me to a brothel?" Levi yelled and stopped in the middle of the street.

"Calm down, Levi, it's not like those nasty whorehouses back in London," she assured him, and grabbed his wrist to drag him alone, "Besides, we're there in a moment, and I'm not gonna show you back to the apartment now."

"Bloody hell," Levi whispered under his breath, as he gritted his teeth and followed her around the next corner. As they turned around the corner, they were met with a large and elegant building, golden doors and tall door-men by every entrance. Long red carpets were rolled out from the entrances to the side-walk and there was no doubt about what this building was for. Levi could almost smell the sinful sex steaming from the building, but nonetheless was Hanji right - this was not like the lousy whorehouses back in London. It looked stylish and expensive, and curious as he was, Levi didn't object as Hanji dragged him to the entrance.

As he tried to stay on his feet, he looked up and saw a golden sign, illuminated by multiple lights, with the words; La Maison des Chats.

* * *

A/N: Thank you for reading the first chapter of my new Riren-fanfic. I'm trying something completely different from what I'm used to, and I don't know a single word in French, so I apologize if the French is off.

Anygay, chapter two will be up soon! I'm totally pumped about this story, because I've actually managed to figure out the whole story-line before writing anything. Also, I'm trying to give the chapters titles for the first time ever.

As always, reviews are appreciated and I hope you're gonna enjoy this story as it progresses.


	2. Stroker Ace

"Monsieur Darcy, welcome back," the doorman greeted with a thick French accent, as Hanji and Levi approached the entrance to the La Maison des Chats, "I shall inform Monsieur Erwin that you're here."

"Thank you," Hanji said in a voice lower and darker than her usual eccentric and feminine tone. The doorman let them past the line of men in front of the night-club, and Levi sent his friend an impressed look as she strutted through the golden doors, into the dark hallway.

"Getting special treatment, I see," Levi said lowly as they passed another doorman who approached the one who greeted Hanji.

"That's what you get after many years as a loyal guest," Hanji stated with a smug smirk on her face, as she glanced at Levi.

"I must say, I'm a bit impressed," Levi said as a waiter greeted them at the end of the hallway, showing them inside another room. Levi looked around as they went through another set of golden doors. The room was the same size as a smaller theatre as he knew them back in London, which was probably what it had been used as, when it was build. The walls were covered with expensive-looking velvet wallpaper in a warm red colour, with golden candle-holders along the walls, and a huge chandelier hang under the beautifully painted ceiling, illuminating the entire room. In the other end of the room was a stage, hidden behind massive red curtains, and a catwalk lead from the middle of the stage to a podium in the middle of the room.

"This is so vulgar," Levi huffed, as the waiter showed them further inside the hall, leading them to a table.

"I know, isn't it delicious?" Hanji asked and winked at him. They sat down by a table close to the stage and Hanji thanked the waiter, who asked them what they wanted to drink and informed Hanji that _Monsieur Erwin _would be there soon.

"Who is this Monsieur Erwin?" Levi asked, as the waiter left.

"Monsieur Erwin Smith owns the La Maison des Chats. He bought the place four years ago for a minor fortune, and turned it into the most popular night-club in Paris. He's a genius and an amazing businessman. The place has been a huge success ever since its opening and he only allows men inside, which is of course why you have to address me as Mr. Darcy," Hanji told, leaning in close to Levi to make sure no one else could hear them. She paused when the waiter came back with a bottle of whiskey and two glasses. "Merci," she said and the waiter bowed before leading a few new-comers to their tables.

Hanji filled the glasses with whiskey and and placed one of them in font of Levi.

"Then why do they speak English?" he asked, taking a sip of the whiskey and enjoying the quality, as it was much more to his taste than the cheap stuff Hanji had bought him earlier.

"The La Maison des Chats is a huge tourist attraction, and Monsieur Erwin only hires staff who can speak English. The girls-"

"The whores?" Levi cut her off, sending her a hard look, making sure she knew he hadn't forgotten that she had dragged him to a brothel. No matter how fancy, it was still a whorehouse.

"The _dancers,_" Hanji corrected him, and returned his look before continuing, "are not obliged to speak English, but Monsieur Erwin offers them to learn the language to give them a chance to earn some extra money. In exchange he wants them to take good care of themselves, as he only lets the most beautiful girls get on stage. And the stage is where they earn the real money."

"Monsieur Darcy," a voice cut her off, before she could tell Levi more about the club, "How nice to have you back here!"

"Monsieur Erwin," Hanji greeted in the same low and dark voice she had used at the entrance. She got up to shake the tall man's hand, "It's good to be back."

Levi got up as well, offering the man his hand. Erwin took it and shook it firmly, while Hanji introduced them; "This is my old friend, Monsieur Levi. He's a famous painter back in London, and he's visiting Paris during the summer."

"Monsieur Levi, it's an honour," Erwin said in a flattering tone, "I've seen some of your work, it's very impressive."

"Thank you," Levi said, and they all three sat down by the table.

"May I ask why you decided to visit Paris?" Erwin asked, leaning in over the table and locking eyes with the painter.

"He's seeking new inspiration and wants to get his name across Europe," Hanji answered before Levi could open his mouth. He looked at her confused, as she winked at the blond man in front of them.

"That sounds very interesting," Erwin said, looking from Hanji to Levi and back again.

"Which is why I brought him here," Hanji continued, leaning back in the seat nonchalantly, "I believe you told me that you were looking for a new artist to make posters for the La Maison des Chats."

"That is very true," Erwin smirked and looked back at Levi again, "Would you consider working for me, Monsieur Levi? It will help you get a reputation in Paris and I will pay you generously for your work."

"I'm flattered by your offer, Monsieur Erwin, but I just arrived in Paris this afternoon, and I believe it would be wise of me to weigh my options before taking in a job as... consuming as the one you're offering me," Levi said coldly, letting his British accent shine through more than usually. Hanji kicked him under the table, as Erwin's face turned offended, and Levi continued; "I will consider you generous offer, though."

"Please do, I'm sure you'll find plenty of inspiration here, if that's what you seek," Erwin answered as the cheerful expression returned to his face, "I believe I'm needed backstage, so you'll have to excuse me. But please, enjoy the show, and if you see anything you like, let me know. It's on me."

Levi and Hanji turned their heads to see the blonde man walk away and disappear behind the stage. Then Levi kicked Hanji under the table, and pulled her closer by her collar.

"Is that why you offered to take me to Paris, you bastard?" he hissed, sending her a death-glare.

"Now now, Levi, let's not over-react," she said with a sheepish smile, and removed his hand from her collar. She straightened her clothes and took a sip of her whiskey before continuing; "I admit, I promised Monsieur Erwin to help him find a painter for the club, but this is a good opportunity for you too! You should be thanking me instead of choking me."

"Hanji-"

"Darcy!"

"_Darcy -_ it's a bloody brothel! This will not help me get a good reputation in France, this will mark me as a pervert," Levi spit, before taking deep breaths to calm himself down and emptying his glass. Hanji poured him another one, while giving him a chance to collect himself.

"You know, Levi, France is a bit different from England - a bad reputation is better than no reputation. You're my oldest friend, I would never lead you to something that could possibly ruin you. I'm telling you, this is a great opportunity," she said, as Levi sipped at the whiskey until the glass was empty again. "At least think about it. And please don't upset Monsieur Erwin, you want to stay on the right side of him."

"Is that so?" Levi asked, and signalled for her to fill up his glass again.

"Yes, and you better not ruin my reputation here either! I've worked hard to become friends with Monsieur Erwin and to be seated at the best tables in the entire club," she insisted, and Levi let out a defeated sigh.

"I will think about it," he said and looked away, noticing that the room was almost filled by now.

"Thank you," Hanji said and let their glasses clink against each other, before they both took a large sip. "Please enjoy yourself a bit. You should exploit this chance - nobody knows who you are here!"

"And by that, you suggest that I buy myself a hooker?" Levi asked with a smirk, slowly letting his good mood from before return.

"No, that would be stupid," Hanji stated as the lights on the stage were turned on, and Erwin appeared from behind the curtains. Everybody turned their attention towards the tall, blonde man on the stage as he welcomed them all to the La Maison des Chats. "Especially since Monsieur Erwin said it was on him, if we see anything we like," Hanji whispered and winked at her friend. Levi was about to say that he would never accept an offer like that, when Erwin spoke up again and he had to keep quiet.

"Mademoiselle Ymir and Mademoiselle Annie," Erwin presented, and the light shut down as the curtains were pulled, covering the scene in complete darkness. The music began playing and two girls appeared on the stage; a brown-haired girl with tiny freckles on her cheeks, wearing a black and pink corset, along with a very revealing skirt with a long tail, showing a pair of glimmering panties and fishnet covering her tanned legs. The other girl was blond with shining blue eyes, wearing the same outfit as the brown-haired, but black and turquoise in stead of pink. Both of them had dangerous looks in their eyes and cold expressions on their faces as they slowly began to move to the music, completely in line, moving as one.

Levi had to admit that this was a lot more impressive than what he had expected, and if the rest of the entertainment was just as good as this, he could see why the La Maison des Chats was as popular as Hanji said it was. Erwin was without a doubt a brilliant businessman, but that didn't necessarily mean that Levi wanted to be a part of it.

"Do you like it?" Hanji whispered without taking her eyes away from the two girls on stage as they moved erotically against each other to the slow beat of the music.

"I have absolutely no opinion," Levi huffed, looking as unimpressed as ever.

"You have to admit it's very tasteful," Hanji insisted, as the two girls pulled off their skirt, revealing their well-formed butts under loud cheering from the guests.

"I see nothing tasteful about this," Levi answered and took a sip of his whiskey, while the girls walked down from the stage, moving around the many tables and let the guests fill their underwear and garters with cash. Levi ignored the blonde as she moved past their table, slowly moving her hips from side to side next to his head.

Hanji waved a banknote between to fingers, sending the blonde a smirk and she slowly moved towards her, letting Hanji stick it down her cleavage before returning to the stage with her dance-partner.

"You are disgusting," Levi spit as Hanji winked at him, and turned her attention towards the two girls as the finished off their act and the curtains were closed behind them.

Erwin walked back onto the stage to introduce another girl - Mademoiselle Sasha - and after her show - which earned her a lot of cash from Hanji - another girl - Mademoiselle Christa - danced her way through the room, ending her act by thanking the many generous gentlemen on the first row.

Levi was getting a bit tired of looking at girls taking off their clothes, as it didn't really suit his taste, unlike Hanji who was cheering loudly with an even more eccentric look in her eyes that usual. Again, Levi had to admit that it was impressive, but this had nothing do to with beauty. Quite the opposite, actually. The female body was beautiful, but not when exposed like this for money. Most of the girls seemed aggressive in the ways they moved to the seductive tones from the band hiding in front of the stage, and Levi preferred elegant and graceful women. Not that he really cared, beauty _was _the only love of his life - but he had painted many beautiful girls back in London, and women often turned out to be great inspiration. But the girls at the La Maison des Chats disgusted him more that inspired him.

Erwin entered the stage once again, getting ready to present the next girl.

"Are we done yet?" Levi whispered to Hanji, who turned to look at him, now that there weren't any girls in sight.

"Come on, Levi, it's only just begun," she whispered back, getting a bit annoyed at her friends fastidiousness.

"Mesdames et Messieurs," Erwin yelled, taking a few steps closer to the edge of the scene, "The headline, the main-event - the reason you're all here-"

"Believe me, you want to see this," Hanji whispered and grabbed Levi's wrist to make sure he didn't go anywhere.

Erwin smiled proudly during his pause, looked at the audience; "Mademoiselle Chasseuse!"

Levi sighed and turned in his seat, thinking that there was apparently no way Hanji would let him go before the show was over, and he wasn't sure he would be able to get back to the apartment by himself after almost emptying the bottle of whiskey with help from his friend.

Low tones sounded from the band as a figure walked onto the stage, and slowly made it's way to the catwalk.

_"__Monsieur, can I come with you,__  
__As you both look awfully kind,__  
__Sadly he and me are through,__  
__Let me tell you what I've got in mind,"_ she sang, almost purred, while walking gracefully down the catwalk.

Levi looked at the figure in front of him, as she stopped by the table next to where Levi and Hanji were seated, moving like one would normally only do while all alone in the middle of the night. Levi could see why Mademoiselle Chasseuse would be the headline; she was beautiful, almost magical. Something out of this world. She was quite thin, light-brown perfect skin and dark-brown short hair. She didn't look as well-groomed as the other girls, but somehow, it only made her that more beautiful.

_"I'll sing to you my mewing charm,  
Looks like you both could use a pet,  
And purr my purr all night long,  
I think a pussy's your best bet," _she continued singing, while getting down on all four, giving everyone a good look of the perfectly formed butt, as her outfit didn't leave much for the imagination. She was wearing a short skirt, which looked like it was made of pure silver, shining and sparkling in the light from the stage, and a matching top, barely covering her chest. Her underwear was obviously black, just like the garters around her toned thighs. She had thin silver-chains spread over the naked tanned skin, only making the mocha-skin look more delicious.

_"Stroke that shiny coat,"_ she almost moaned, catching Levi's eyes with her own, as dark-brown cat-ears and a long tail appeared out of nowhere, under loud cheering from the audience. Levi blinked, thinking that he had probably been drinking too much whiskey - but the ears and tail were still there, when he looked at her again. She locked eyes with the painter for a moment, and Levi was lost in her eyes as the sparkling green orbs turned a bit more yellowish during the transformation.

_"Stroking is the antidote,  
Stroke that, it's a start,  
Only for the wild at heart."_

Mademoiselle Chasseuse rolled over to lay on her back, letting her long tail caress the exposed skin on her stomach, while arching her back off the catwalk.

_"My tail alone could tell you tales,  
It's got a life all of its own,  
Watch it move just like a sail,  
Sail you to the twilight zone."_

"She's beautiful, isn't she?" Hanji whispered to Levi without looking at him.

"Yes," he breathed back, not noticing either her question or the fact that he had answered it. Hanji turned to look at him, since she hadn't expected such an answer, but Levi didn't return her glance.

_"I love to lap a spot of cream,  
And I assure you that I'm neat,  
But you never know what you can expect,  
When the pussy is in heat," _the dancer purred and got back up on her knees, letting Levi and Hanji get another good look at her butt and tail as she turned her back to them to sing to the guests on the opposite side of the catwalk. Her tail moved to the slow beat of the music, just like her hips. Then she jumped from the catwalk to gracefully land on a table on the front-row, without knocking anything over, and moving like a cat from the table to the lap of a man by said table, letting him stroke her stomach while she purred out the chorus of her song;

_"Stroke that shiny coat,  
Stroking is the antidote,  
Stroke that shiny coat,  
Stroking's what it's all about."_

Levi emptied his glass once more, trying to gather his thoughts, while the course of his flustering, moved back to the catwalk after getting her garters stuffed with cash, dropping a few banknotes on the stage as she knelt down while spreading her legs in front of Hanji and Levi, letting them get a good view at the lines of her inner-thighs, while her crotch was still hidden behind the silver-skirt. She locked eyes with Levi again and smirked while singing, as she let her body slide from the catwalk to the floor, slowly walking towards their table.

_"I like to watch, if you don't mind,  
Every sphinx knows how to pass the time,"_ she purred as she approached them, placing her ass on their table, spreading her legs and placing a naked foot on the arm-rest of Levi's chair.

_"Your little love nest suits me well,  
Let me show you how to cast a spell,"_ the dancer continued, grinding her soft leg against Levi's arm as she moved from the table to his lap, straddling him. A deep purr sounded from her throat as she smirked at the painter, before getting back on her feet and letting Hanji fasten a couple of banknotes at the edge of her skirt, while stroking Hanji's cheek with the tip of her tail. Then she moved away from the table, earning cash from the other guests with her hypnotizing hips as she finished off the song.

_"Stroke that shiny coat,  
Stroking is the antidote,  
Stroke that it's a start,  
Only for the wild at heart,_

_Stroke that shiny coat,  
Stroking is the antidote,  
Stroke that shiny coat,  
Stroking's what it's all about."_

"I told you it was worth it," Hanji whispered as the girl climbed back onto the stage before disappearing behind the red curtains. Levi didn't answer; he felt completely mind-blown. Chasseuse might be a prostitute, just like the other girls of the La Maison des Chats, but she was different. She was beautiful, truly beautiful, and something in Levi told him, that this was what he had come this far to experience. This was the most beautiful part of Paris, this was his inspiration. He just had to paint her.

"Don't get any good ideas," Hanji said and turned to face him, not caring that Erwin had already returned to the stage, presenting the next girl. "Chasseuse is Erwin's number one, he won't let just anybody near her."

"I just - I really-" Levi stuttered before clearing his throat and regaining his usual calm voice, "I'm not interested in that sort of things, Darcy. She's very beautiful, but she's still a whore. I would love to paint her, though."

"Oh, so you found your inspiration?" Hanji teased, not willing to let her friend off, as he had apparently found inspiration in a whorehouse, as he called it.

"Maybe," Levi huffed and took a sip of his whiskey. A new girl had entered the scene, but neither Hanji nor Levi paid her any attention. She studied him for a moment, and he returned her glance with a cold look.

"Very well, Mister Levi," she smirked and leaned back in her seat, "I'll help you."

"I'm listening," Levi said lowly while filling their glasses again, emptying the bottle.

"Mademoiselle Chasseuse is not just a luxury whore; she's Monsieur Erwin's headline, his pearl. Normally, he only lets his benefiters near her, and they pay a lot of money to just spend a single night with her. The whole thing about the ears and tail really turns men on for some reason - don't ask me how she does it, Erwin refuses to let me in on that secret, no matter how much rum I fill him with. He says a true magician never reveals his secret," Hanji trailed off, obviously annoyed by the fact that she couldn't figure out how Chasseuse's ears and tail could suddenly appear.

"You were saying?" Levi asked, lifting his eyebrow at her as she seemed to be lost in thoughts.

"Yes, if you agree to work for Monsieur Erwin, you can get near Chasseuse. She _is_ the main-event at the La Maison des Chats after all, and if you can produce some really beautiful posters of her, you might get to spend some extra-time with her," Hanji smirked and a satisfied smile settled on Levi's face as she spoke.

"Very well then," he said, straightening his cravat, "Let us have a chat with Monsieur Erwin then."

Hanji signalled for Erwin to come over, as soon as the main-show was over, and some of the girls reappeared on the stage to dance for a little extra money and possibly get a costumer for the night.

"Enjoying the show?" Erwin asked, as he approached them, pulling out a chair and placing a fresh bottle of whiskey on the table.

"Indeed," Hanji answered, in her low Mr. Darcy-voice, "In fact, we enjoy it so much, that Mister Levi is ready to strike a deal with you."

"Is that so?" the tall man asked, sending Levi a bright smile, "In that case, why don't we go to my office and discuss the details?"

"Why don't we?" Levi smirked and the two of them got up, leaving Hanji alone with an unopened bottle of whiskey in the dim light from the stage.

"May I ask what made you change your mind?" Erwin asked as he sat down behind his desk in his office, signalling for Levi to sit down across from him.

The painter pulled out the soft chair, and looked around the office. It was quite small, but just as expensive-looking as the dance-hall. The windows were covered by heavy curtains and the furniture were made out of dark wood, every single piece in the room matching. His desk was almost empty, aside from a few stacks of neatly arranged papers.

"I want to paint Mademoiselle Chasseuse," Levi answered bluntly, locking eyes with Erwin. The blonde studied him for a moment and then laughed. Levi didn't move at all.

"Yes, she's a great dance, isn't she?" he laughed, and turned in the chair, leaning his elbow against the armrest, "But don't get any good ideas. She's expensive."

"Pardon me for not being familiar with the French language, but in England, wanting to paint someone simply means wanting to paint a picture of them. I am not a man to fall for your dancing temptresses," Levi bit back, with an expressionless face.

"So that's your only condition, then?" Erwin asked, after studying Levi for another moment.

"Yes. You will pay me for my work and let me spend time with Mademoiselle Chasseuse, and in return, I can guarantee you the most beautiful posters for your night-club. You will not find a more talented painter than me," Levi answered, crossing his arms under his chest.

"I will give you three hours alone with her, every Saturday afternoon - if you need more than that, you'll have to pay for her time, just like the other costumers," Erwin said, "She's only taking clients at night, but I'll give you a discount if I'm satisfied with your work, say - ten percent off?"

"That's hardly a discount," Levi stated, letting a frown settle on his face.

"Then you will just have to work on your paintings during those three hours every Saturday," Erwin said in a smug tone, "Other than that, you will be working during the day to make sure your work won't disturb the shows. You will be painting all off the girls, and make sure to promote all of them equally."

"And how much are you going to pay me?"

"How about-" Erwin started, taking a pause to think for a bit, "-you make me a poster for free, just to prove to me that you are the painter I want?" Levi was about to get up and yell at the man for being a cheapskate, but Erwin continued; "I'll let you meet Mademoiselle Chasseuse tonight, and tomorrow we'll meet again and you will show me your work. Then I'll decide if we have a deal or not, and we can discuss your salary."

Levi locked eyes with the blonde, weighing his options. Of course he wanted to make money, but right now he actually had the opportunity to meet his possibly greatest inspiration ever. He knew he could make the most beautiful art, the job was as good as his.

"Fine," he said, making sure not to let Erwin see his satisfaction with the deal so far, "Show me to her room, and tell Mr. Darcy to go fetch my papers and watercolours."

"With pleasure, Monsieur Levi," Erwin said, and showed the painter outside his office, making sure to lock it firmly after he closed the door behind him.

A couple of minutes later, Levi found himself in front of a heavy wooden door with a guard sitting on a chair next to it. He looked at Levi as he approached the door, but as Erwin appeared behind him, he looked away.

"This is her room," Erwin said, "If you have any problems, don't be afraid to talk to Gunther," he nodded towards the guard, who pretended not to hear him, "He's only here to help you."

"Thank you," Levi said, and Erwin left him alone in front of the massive door, going back to find Hanji and ask her to bring Levi's equipment. Levi placed a few gentle knocks on the wooden door, and after a moment of silence, a soft voice purred; _"Entrez."_

Levi slowly opened the door. He entered the dim room and closed the door behind him, as he looked around. The room was neat - not as neat as the dance-hall or Monsieur Erwin's office, but it was indeed neat. The wall opposite from the door was made of glass, allowing the moonlight the fill the room and make it all seem black and white. The room was almost empty, except for a large bed on Levi's left side, covered with pillows and light pieces of fabrics hanging from the ceiling. To his right, there was a large cabinet, probably containing Chasseuse's stage-outfits, and next to it, a little desk with a mirror. In the corner, between the bed and the windows, there was an exit to what looked like a balcony, but it was hard to determine due to the fabric hanging over the bed.

A small shadow moved from the balcony to the bed, almost invisible behind the fabric, and then a beautiful face appeared from behind the bed.

"Comme c'est gentil de votre part de venir me rendre visite ce soir, Monsieur." Chasseuse said, as she laid eyes on Levi, sending him a tiny smile and waving her dark lashes at him.

"Pardon me?" Levi asked, suddenly remembering he was in Paris and he didn't understood a single French word.

"No, pardon me, Monsieur!" she said, as she realized he didn't understood the language, "You're an Englishman?"

She got up from behind the bed and walked towards him, never letting her eyes off of him. Levi suddenly realized he was standing with his back against the door, feeling a bit trapped as she came closer, but he never let the calm expression leave his face.

"Yes," he said, "London."

"How charming," she purred, "May I ask your name?"

"Levi."

"Monsieur Levi, then," the dancer smiled, and leaned in, her face inches away from the painters. He could feel her warm breath against his cheek and smell the sweet essence of her perfume. She was truly beautiful. "Thank you for coming."

And by that she leaned further, closing the gab between them and let her soft lips caress Levi's slightly parted ones. Levi froze for a moment, thinking that this was definitely not what he came for, but God, she was just so beautiful. The girl moved closer, letting her body move against the painters, waiting for him to join in on the fun. She parted her legs slightly, letting one rest on each side of Levi's thigh - Levi pulled back, slamming the back of his head against the door, and looking down.

"Bloody hell," he whispered, "You're not a girl!"

* * *

A/N: I almost feel sorry for Levi, he's having a rough time in France! But it's a bit fun to torture him for once, in stead of Eren. It's really weird for me to write something like this, it's really different from my other fanfics, but I hope the story's okay. Since the story takes place in Moulin Rouge-settings, I'm trying not to copy the movie and I hope the plot will be interesting.

The song is _Stroker Ace_ by Lovage, which I totally adore. I've been listening to the CD while writing this chapter, and I believe it helped a lot to set the atmosphere.

Anyway, thanks for reading, and thanks for the reviews, aaand I hope your guys enjoyed the chapter.


	3. In the Cat's Den

Bloody France and those bloody cross-dressers. As he gently pushed the boy - whom he had though was a girl - a few steps back, Levi was about ready to leave this bloody country. He hadn't even been there for twenty-four hours yet, but he longed to go back to England, to his home in London, where things actually made sense.

"Pardon, Monsieur, I thought you knew," the boy said, not letting Levi's reaction change the seductive tone in his voice.

"How on earth was I supposed to know that?" Levi hissed and backed away from the boy, looking him up and down, trying to find something that could have given him away. Of course he didn't look like the other girls, who had big breasts and curved bodies, but the boy had long slender legs and a very nice butt and the way he moved just seemed very feminine.

"I believe it is what you call a common known secret," the boy answered, following Levi around in the room, obviously not sorry about the misunderstanding, "I thought you knew Monsieur Darcy, didn't he tell you?"

"Darcy?" Levi growled through gritted teeth, as he realized that Hanji had managed to fool him again. She was probably sitting in the dance-hall now, drinking expensive booze and laughing her ass off. He was about to turn around and run out the door, only to kick her sorry ass before stealing her dirty ship and sail back to England by himself, but then the boy moved closer again.

"No, don't you worry, I can still make you feel really good."

Levi froze to the spot as the boy moved even closer to him, and began licking his neck. Levi bit his lower lip before pushing the boy away again, sending him a cold look and straightening his clothes.

"Stop that," he hissed, earning him a puzzled look from the other male, "I am not here to let you pleasure me."

"Wh-what?" Eren asked, looking very confused until his eyes widened, as he thought he had understood what Levi meant, "Oh, you want me to look while you do it yourself?"

"No!" Levi yelled, taking another step back as the boy tried to capture him again, "Just keep your hands away from me!"

He took a deep breath as the boy sat down at the edge of the bed, waiting for him to explain why he was there if not for his services.

"I am here to paint you. I am a painter, and Mister Erwin wants to hire me to paint posters for the night-club. In exchange, I get to use you as a model for my own projects, three hours every Saturday," Levi explained, wondering if he had actually managed to remember every part of the deal, as he felt a little besides himself right now.

"But then - I don't get to work tonight?" the boy asked, after thinking for a moment.

"No, Mister Erwin arranged for me to make a painting of you. You will not take any clients tonight."

_"Merde!" _the boy yelled and slammed his fist against the mattress. He got up and began walking back and forth, mumbling in French what sounded like a line of profanities. Then he stopped and looked at Levi. "Please, Monsieur, paint me another day, I wish to work tonight."

"Why do you want to work when you can have the night off?" Levi asked, not understanding the desperation in the boys voice. Did he even understand what he was saying? "You do not have to do anything, while I am painting you. You just have to make yourself comfortable and let me do all the work. Do you understand?"

"I do, Monsieur, but I really have to work tonight!" the boy insisted, sending him a pleading look, "I haven't made any money the last couple of days, and I really need to get some before tomorrow."

"What about all that cash you earned while dancing tonight?" Levi asked, beginning to doubt whether the boy even knew what he was saying.

"I only get about twenty percent of what I earn, the rest is Monsieur Erwin's. Please, Monsieur, I have been feeling sick the last couple of days, and I really need to earn some money."

Levi studied the boy as he kept sending the painter a pleading look. Didn't Hanji tell him earlier, that the girls earned the real money on stage? He understood that Monsieur Erwin had to pay his bills and a place like this couldn't be cheap, but twenty percent didn't seem like much. Maybe Hanji had gotten something wrong, or maybe Erwin had special rules for the boy?

"What is your name, brat?" Levi asked, taking a few steps closer to the boy.

"Eren, Monsieur," he answered and looked down, obviously troubled by the fact that he wouldn't earn any money that night.

"Eren," Levi said and pulled out a few banknotes from his inner-pocket, "If I pay for the night, will you let me paint you then?"

"Y-you want to pay me for _not _having sex with you?" Eren asked, looking completely dumbfounded.

"Technically, yes," Levi answered after giving it a moment of thought, "I will pay you for letting me paint you and for not trying to seduce me again."

Eren locked eyes with Levi again, this time his eyes were filled with disbelief as a serious expression settled on his face. Levi returned the glance with a calm look.

"Why are you doing this?" Eren then asked, dumping back onto the bed again, without breaking the eye-contact.

"Obviously, I want to paint you," Levi stated as he threw the money on the bed. He went to the corner of the room to pick up a chair and drag it closer to the bed, before he got down and locked eyes with the boy again.

"Why?" Eren insisted, looking back up at Levi after counting the money and stashing it away in his underwear.

"What do you mean _why_?" Levi asked, getting a bit annoyed by the boys questions. Couldn't he just be happy that he was willing to pay him for his time, even though Erwin wasn't going to pay him for this project?

"Why do you want to paint me, Monsieur?" Eren elaborated, his voice turning soft again as he began to relax, obviously feeling a bit relieved that he wouldn't have to think about money tonight.

"Because you are beautiful," Levi answered, without taking his eyes away from the boy.

"Pardon me?" Eren choked, his eyes widening as he moved a bit closer to Levi, not sure if he had heard that right.

"You are beautiful. Actually, you are possibly the most beautiful thing I have ever laid my eyes on, and as a painter, beauty is what I live for," Levi said, still keeping his eyes on Eren and still not letting his expression change. The fact that Eren was actually male, didn't change the fact that he was beautiful.

"Monsieur Levi, I-"

"Please, just Levi," the painter cut him off, getting a bit tired of the French language by now. He still felt the urge to leave the country and get back to London, but now he finally had the chance to paint the boy, and he refused to return to England empty-handed. Just as he thought about when Hanji would return with his water-colours, a light knock sounded from the wooden door. Eren jumped from the bed to the floor without making a single sound and opened the door.

"Monsieur Darcy," he greeted and let the new-comer inside.

"Bonjour my sweet little kitten," Hanji beamed and took off her top-hat as she entered the room and let Eren close the door behind her. "And Mister Levi!" she greeted, not able to hide her smirk, as the annoyed glare he sent her, told her that he had found out about the little common known secret.

"It is very bold of you to just waltz in here like that, after what you did to me," he hissed, getting up to face her.

"Oh yes, I forgot to tell you about Eren," Hanji smiled innocently, handing over his papers and water-colours, "He's cute though, isn't he?"

"I sincerely hope this is the last time you are going to make a fool of me," Levi warned her, ignoring her question about the boy, who had settled on his bed again, looking at the two grown-ups in front of him.

"Come on, Levi, it's not like you were gonna have sex with him anyway," Hanji teased and drew a small bottle of whiskey from the inner-pocket of her jacket. She handed it over to Levi. "Drink it as fast as you can. You tend to be in a better mood when you're drunk."

"I think it is time for you to go now, _Mister Darcy!"_ Levi said, and turned Hanji around, pushing her towards the door.

"No, please let me play with Eren a bit before I leave," she yelled, trying to stop her friend from pushing her.

"No can do. I paid for him, he is all mine tonight. And you are not invited," Levi answered and opened the door to push her to the other side.

"You paid for him?" Hanji asked, her face turning serious as she turned around to look at Levi, "But Mister Erwin told me -"

"Sleep well, Mister Darcy, I will return to your apartment tomorrow morning. Let us save the chat for then," Levi said loudly, and closed the door between them. He looked back at the room, where Eren still laid on the bed, looking at him curiously.

"You and Monsieur Darcy are good friends?" he asked and rolled over to lie on his stomach while hugging a pillow. Levi returned to the chair next to the bed and sat down with a sigh before answering.

"Yes, we have known each other for ten years."

"That's a long time," Eren said and hugged the pillow tighter.

"Shall we begin?" Levi asked, wanting to change the subject - or rather not talk at all. He just wanted to paint the god damn boy now, he had waited long enough, and he was positive that this whole experience would cause him to grow grey hair.

"What do you want me to do, Monsieur?" Eren asked and sat up on his knees, waiting for the painters instructions.

"Just make yourself feel comfortable," Levi answered, looking down at his equipment as he prepared for the project, "And please, just call me Levi."

He looked back up at Eren, just in time to see him get rid of his top and skirt, leaving him in nothing but his panties and garters.

"Stop!" Levi yelled, and Eren froze to the spot, his hand down his underwear to remove the cash before getting rid of the piece of cloth. Despite of this not being what Levi meant when he told the boy to make himself comfortable, he couldn't stop looking at him. The moonlight shined through the windows and cast dark greyish shadows all over the tanned skin. Even though his body was quite slender and a bit feminine, Levi could see the muscles dance under the young skin, showing every line in his body and making the boy almost irresistible. "I didn't mean for you to get comfortable _like that. _You do understand that I don't want to have intercourse with you, don't you?"

"Of course, Monsieur," Eren answered, not understanding why Levi had stopped him, "You told me to make myself comfortable - I'm most comfortable when I'm naked."

"Oh," Levi said, lifting an eyebrow as this was not really what he had expected, "Well, I can only imagine how uncomfortable those clothes must be."

The statement earned him a giggle from Eren, who offered the painter a kind smile as he got back on the bed, now completely naked. Levi studied him as he settled on his stomach, showing off the toned muscles on his back and his perfectly formed ass.

"Tell me what to do," Eren said, turning a bit to look at the painter, who turned his eyes from the boy's body to the paper in front of him, and began sketching the lines of Eren's body.

"Just relax."

"You don't want me to do anything?"

"No, you are beautiful as you are," Levi spoke lowly, already completely focused on his work.

"You keep saying that," Eren mumbled, as a deep purr escaped his throat. Levi looked up by the sound, remembering something similar when Eren straddled him back in the dance-hall.

"Bloody hell," he whispered at the sight that met him. Large cat-ears had grown from Eren's head, the same brown colour as his hair, and one of them twitching to avoid a piece of fabric, hanging from the ceiling and barely touching the tip of the ear. From over the well-formed butt, grew the long tail, swinging slowly from side to side as Eren himself laid on the bed with a happy expression on his face, purring.

Levi let his paper and paintbrush fall the the floor, slowly moving closer to the bed, while Eren opened a shining green eye to look up at him. Levi reached out to touch the soft locks on the boys head, which only made him purr even louder. The painter moved his hand to slowly let his fingers ghost over the cat-ears, making them twitch, and Eren lifted his head to look at him again.

"That tickles," he stated as he stopped purring.

"How on earth do you do that?" Levi whispered, completely fascinated by the ears and tail.

"I'm not allowed to talk about it, so please don't tell Monsieur Erwin, that I told you," Eren said, locking eyes with Levi again as he moved a little closer to him, "I'm a were-cat, Monsieur Levi. It is a very rare species, from what Monsieur Erwin has told me. I've never met another person who could transform to a cat."

"You mean, you can do more than just grow ears and tail?" Levi asked, reaching out to touch the ears again, this time more firmly, earning him another purr from Eren's throat.

"Yes. Normally I'm able to control it completely, which is why Monsieur Erwin wants me to dance on the stage. He says men loves cute girls with ears and tails, and that makes me his headline."

"But you are not a girl, Eren," Levi stated, looking down at the boy's pretty face.

"No, but Monsieur Erwin says that as long as I can pull it off as a girl, I have to pretend that I'm one," Eren said, letting his green eyes wander over Levi's face. He began purring again as their eyes met, making him blush a bit and look away.

"How old are you?" Levi asked, completely forgetting about the painting he should be doing.

"I'm sixteen," Eren answered and rolled around to lie on his back, moving exactly like a cat.

Normally Levi would have turned his head, not wanting to look at another man's junk, but Eren was just too adorable, as he looked more and more cat-like. Levi studied the big green orbs as he could feel them wander over his face, and he let his hand move to Eren's cheek, caressing it gently. Eren began purring again, closing his eyes and letting his tail tab against the mattress.

"How long have you been here?" Levi asked, while caressing the boys soft skin.

"At the La Maison des Chats? Four years. I was here when Monsieur Erwin bought it and I danced at the grand opening," Eren answered over his purr, still keeping his eyes closed.

"You have been working here since you were twelve?" Levi choked, not willing to believe that there were actually men out there who would pay for a twelve-year-old prostitute. Why would Erwin even allow that to happen?

"Can you transform completely?" Levi asked, still curious about the rare creature he had met.

"Oui," Eren answered and closed his eyes again. Levi looked at him, as his body slowly shrunk while getting covered with brown and white fur, his fingers shortened and turned into paws with soft pink pads and the the hint of sharp claws. His eyes turned to a more yellowish kind of green and his pupils changed while looking up at the painter. Eren's nose changed to a little pink snout and as he opened his mouth a bit, Levi could see the pointy teeth and the flat pink tongue. The boy had transformed to a full-grown house-cat, and he rolled over on it's stomach, looking up at Levi before letting a low meow escape his mouth.

"Bloody hell," Levi whispered and slowly moved his hand closer to the cat, almost unable to believe that this was in fact Eren, even though he had seen him transform just a moment ago. Eren kept his eyes on Levi without moving a single whisker, and began purring again as Levi gently nuzzled him behind the ear.

"Can you still understand what I'm saying?" Levi asked, and Eren got on his feet, nodding once. "Amazing," Levi said, completely lost for words.

Eren walked over the bed and stopped at the edge, inches away from Levi's face. The cat leaned in to sniff him, and Levi let him do as he pleased. Then Eren let his warm rough tongue out, and placed a single lick on the painter's cheek before letting his forehead touch the older man. Levi looked at the cat with a puzzled expression as Eren just sat there, looking boldly at him while purring.

"Oh my, I forgot about the painting," Levi said, as he remembered his job for the night. It felt weird to talk to a cat like it was human, but he knew this specific cat _was_ indeed a human-being. "Can you transform back, Eren?" he asked, looking down at the cat.

Nothing happened.

"You are able to transform back into a human, aren't you?" Levi asked, a bit more insistent this time. The cat nodded.

"But you do not want to right now?"

Eren blinked and rolled onto his back again, purring and looking up at the man with an adorable look on his face.

"You want me to pet you, is that it?" he asked, lifting his eyebrow, and thinking he was going mad, talking to a cat like this. Eren just blinked at him and tapped his tail against the mattress.

"Will you promise me to transform back later, if I pet you now? I need to get this work finished by morning," Levi said, still doubting his sanity. Eren blinked again and purred lowly as an answer.

Levi let a defeated sigh escape his lips and pulled out the bottle of whiskey, Hanji had brought him. This was going to be one long night, and he hadn't even slept that much since he left London. It felt like it had been weeks since the last time he had looked at the Thames from his apartment. So many things had happened since he came to Paris, and he had a feeling it was just the beginning.

Eren let a muffled meow escape his throat, to make sure Levi didn't forget about him, and Levi looked down at the adorable creature on the bed, still lying on his back, exposing the soft white fur on his stomach, and looking up at the painter with wide green eyes. Levi sighed again and took a huge sip of the bottle, not caring about glasses and British etiquette any more.

He began nuzzling Eren's soft stomach, earning him a deeper purr and Eren closed his eyes. This was just too weird; Levi had never experienced anything like this back in London, and as soon as he sat his feet in Paris, all sorts of crazy things happened. He really just wanted to paint and earn his money, but somehow he had ended up working for a man who owned a brothel, where he had to _pay_ to work, and pet a prostitute who could turn himself into a cat. This was _not_ normal!

But Eren was a cute cat, and he was a very beautiful boy. Levi let a gentle smile settle on his face, as he tickled Eren on his chest, earning him a squeaking sound and Eren tried to catch his hand with his paws. It was obvious that the boy did his best not to use his claws, but as he got a bit more playful, wanting to catch Levi's hand, he accidentally scratched his finger. Levi jerked back and looked at his hand where a thin line of blood broke the otherwise perfect, pale skin.

Eren got up on all four again, and jumped towards Levi, who barely managed to catch him with his free hand. Eren reached his paws out and grabbed Levi's injured hand gently, pulling it closer and began to lick the scratch over and over. Levi looked down at the cat in his arms, still not understanding how he ended up like this.

"Say, Eren," Levi started, after Eren had cuddled up against his chest, still licking the hand, "Do you think you are ready to continue now? I would really like to get my work done and get some sleep soon."

Eren looked up at him before nodding. He jumped back onto the bed and transformed mid-air, landing flat on his stomach, butt-naked in human-form.

"Thank you, Monsieur Levi," he purred and settled himself on the bed, getting ready for Levi to continue painting him.

"Just Levi," the painter mumbled, as he got back on the chair and picked up his water-colours.

* * *

A/N: So, this might seem a bit weird with the whole were-cat thing and stuff, but I wanted to come up with something new in stead of only getting inspired by Moulin Rouge. I'm trying to include the most essential parts and the atmosphere from the movie in this story, but other than that, I'm trying to come up with a more original plot. I got inspired from one of my favourite yaoi mangas, Kuroneko something-something, which is just really good and very cute.

Thank you for reading and for the reviews - it's really a great motivation for me, especially during the beginning of the story, where I always get insecure about the whole plot. So thank you, and I hope you enjoyed the chapter.


	4. Striking the Deal

Levi returned to Hanji's apartment the next morning. He was exhausted and had spend way too much time trying to recall the way back to her home, taking wrong turns and communicating with bystanders to help him find the right way, without any luck, but at last he was there. He knocked violently on the door, until Hanji finally opened the door, only wearing an oversize shirt, which hung loosely around her body. Levi sent her a surprised look by her appearance, as he had never seen her with such tangled hair and dark circles under her eyes.

"You're so noisy," she mumbled, obviously hungover.

"And you are a lousy excuse of a friend," Levi hissed back, pushing her away to make his way inside the small apartment, "Why didn't you tell me about Eren?"

Hanji sighed and closed the door behind him, as she followed him to the living-room, holding onto everything in sight to make sure to stay on her wobbly legs.

"Do we really need to have this conversation now?" she asked and rubbed her sore eyes, "I'm so hungover, you won't believe it."

"Yes, we need to have this conversation now. Let that be your punishment," Levi smirked, feeling lucky that he was only tired and not hungover like her. He had actually planned on sleeping before giving Hanji a third degree, but seeing this opportunity to pay her back, he decided the sleep could wait.

Hanji sighed and rubbed her forehead, knowing there was no way she could persuade him to let this wait for a more decent hour of day. She went to the kitchen to make tea while Levi sat down on the couch after neatly hanging his jacket and top-hat on a chair nearby. He kept his eyes on his friend, while she walked back and forth in the small kitchen, looking for clean tea-cups and something to strengthen herself. She knocked over a few empty bottles, looking for a drop of booze, but it was no use.

"Why is the rum gone?" she mumbled to herself, after checking every single bottle in the kitchen. Levi leaned over to grab his jacket and retrieve the small whiskey-bottle from his inner-pocket. He threw it at Hanji who barely managed to catch it, but sent him a grateful look as she emptied the bottle of what was left of the liquid.

She brought in a small wooden tray with two cups and a tea-kettle, and placed in on the coffee-table before sitting down on the couch next to Levi, who still followed her with his eyes.

"Why didn't you tell me he is a boy?" Levi asked calmly while Hanji poured him a cup of tea, still looking quite tired and hungover.

"Is it really that important?" she asked as she placed the cup in front of him, "You weren't gonna have sex with him anyway, were you?"

"Of course not! But I was going to paint him, and I am not sure whether or not I want to make paintings of a boy," Levi answered, and took a sip of his tea.

"Why not? He's still a gorgeous boy, and he _does_ look quite feminine. I'm not sure people will notice," she said and leaned back against the arm-rest, closing her eyes to avoid the sunlight, "And you can just paint him with a really nice pair of breasts, if that's what's missing."

Levi shook her a furious glance and placed the cup back on the coffee-table. Hanji ignored his glare as she poured herself a cup of tea and leaned back in the couch, pulling up her legs up to get a bit more comfortable.

"That does not change the fact that you made a complete fool of me!" he said, raising his voice at the hungover woman.

"You made a fool of yourself, Levi. You paid him, didn't you?" Hanji asked and locked eyes with the painter, "Mister Erwin told me he had offered you the night alone with the boy _for free_, so he could see if he really wanted to hire you. Yet, you paid Eren."

"I had to," Levi huffed coldly, lowering his voice again and taking another sip of his tea, "The boy said he hadn't earned any money the last couple of days and he was quite desperate."

"What are you talking about? He earned plenty during his show. I stuffed his skirt with 50 francs for Christ's sake!" Hanji exclaimed, sending Levi a confused look.

"Yes, I saw that," Levi spoke calmly, and straightened his back before sipping his tea, "The boy told me that the money he makes on stage, is for Mister Erwin. Eren gets about twenty percent of what he earns from his clients."

"You must have misunderstood something, Levi," Hanji said after looking at him in disbelief for a moment.

"I most certainly haven't! That is exactly what the boy told me!"

"I think the boy fooled you, then," Hanji said, her voice still heavy from her hangover, "I've spend time with some of the other girls, and they all told me the exact same thing as Mister Erwin told me, back when I met him; they get around fifty percent of what they earn from their client, but everything they earn on stage is for them alone."

"No, that's not it!" Levi insisted, "I don't think Eren would lie about such things."

"He's a hooker, isn't he?" Hanji asked, sending Levi a knowing look to remind him about what he had said about the girls the previous night, "He earns his money by making people believe what they want to believe."

Levi was about to open his mouth and yell at her, but then he remembered that Hanji didn't knew about Eren being a were-cat. She had told him during the show last night, that she had tried to figure out how Eren's ears and tail could appear out of thin air - if she knew about his secret, then the ears wouldn't be much of a mystery to her. And Eren had chosen to tell Levi about his secret, so why would he lie to get his money? It would be foolish to cheat someone who knew his deepest secret, especially since Erwin didn't want him to tell anyone about it - and Eren didn't seem like a fool.

Levi chose not to continue on the subject, and Hanji was too tired to insist on him admitting he was wrong - which he wasn't!

"Anyway," Levi said calmly, taking another sip of his tea with an expressionless face, "I want you to teach me the French language."

"Oh? I thought you only cared about the French currency?" she asked with a teasing tone, leaning in to reach her own cup of tea.

"Yes, but I realize that it will probably be easier for me to sell my paintings if I can converse in French. I don't need to learn the entire French vocabulary, so just teach me what I need to know to have a normal conversation," Levi answered, as he felt the tiredness slowly sneak in on him again.

"Well, French is the language of love, after all," Hanji said as a smug smile settled on her face.

"Bugger off," Levi hissed and got up from the couch, "Just teach me the bloody language."

"Where are you going?" Hanji asked as Levi moved around the coffee-table.

"I'm going to get some sleep. You better be quiet or I will let my fist teach you the language of violence."

"Come on, you're not gonna claim the bedroom, are you?" Hanji complained and moved around in the couch to look after her friend.

"Yes, I am. Let that be your punishment."

"I thought you already punished me?"

"Not enough," Levi smirked and sent her a dark look before slamming the door to the bedroom behind him, leaving his hungover friend alone on the couch.

As he loosened his cravat, he looked at himself in the mirror. He had dark circles under his eyes, which only made him realize how tired he was by now, but he just couldn't get Eren out of his head. He understood why Hanji would think he had cheated him into paying for the night, but the desperation in the boy's voice had seem genuine. As he let himself dump down on the mattress, the last thought that went through his head before falling asleep, was how much he wanted to paint Eren again.

* * *

"I must say, I really like your style, Monsieur Levi," Erwin said impressed, as he looked at the sketches and paintings of Eren.

"I thought so," Levi huffed and let a smug smile settle on his face.

After getting a good eight hours of sleep, Levi was ready to sell himself to Erwin, which was why he found himself in his office once again. The taller man was sitting by his desk and looking quite satisfied with the painter's work. Levi himself was sitting in the exact same place as he did during their last meeting, sipping a cup of tea and feeling pretty confident about himself. He knew that he was talented and he knew how much he was worth, and he was more that ready to negotiate his salary with the tall blonde.

"How much would you say you are worth?" Erwin asked and offered the painter a cigarette. Levi politely declined and settled with his tea.

"That depends on how many posters you need," he answered and took a moment to think about it, "But for a man with my talent and reputation, I think 500 francs per poster is a fair prize."

Erwin coughed on his cigarette and had to take a sip of his tea before clearing his throat and sending Levi a look of disbelief.

"You must be kidding me," he said and took another drag of his cigarette.

"Not at all, Monsieur Erwin," Levi said calmly, "My time is expensive. And you don't seem to have any other painters at hand, so if you want the new posters any time soon, I will recommend you take my offer. "

"500 francs is too much, I'm trying to run a business here. And you don't seem to have any other jobs at hand either, Monsieur Levi," Erwin said and leaned in over the desk between the them.

"How much are you willing to pay me then?"

"300 francs per poster," Erwin answered, "And if you can get it done within two months, then I'll throw in a bonus."

"300 francs is not enough," Levi stated, and sent the other man a firm look.

"350 is my final offer, plus the three hours weekly with Chasseuse!"

"Well, then I might just take 450 and pay for the boy myself," Levi smirked and leaned in over the desk as well.

"Please, address her as Mademoiselle Chasseuse, that's what she prefers," Erwin said and took another deep drag of his cigarette before getting back to the negotiations; "And it's hardly worth it for you to pay for her time. 375."

"And why is that?" Levi asked, seeing an opportunity to get more information about Eren.

"You will be paying for a service you won't be enjoying, Monsieur Levi. I think a man with your talent can get models to work for free, so why pay a prostitute?"

"You are absolutely right about that," Levi said and leaned back in the seat with a smug expression, "Which is why you should understand that my work is worth far more that 375 francs."

Erwin shook him a confused look before realizing the trap he had walked right into. Then he laughed and took a final drag of his cigarette before putting it out in the large silver ashtray on his desk.

"Very well, Monsieur Levi," he laughed and took a sip of his tea, "I'll pay you 410 francs per poster plus the three hours weekly with Chasseuse, and the bonus if you finish the posters within two months. How does that sound?"

"You just got yourself a deal, Monsieur Erwin," Levi said and leaned in to seal the deal with a handshake.

"Now, let me show you around and introduce you to some of the girls. I believe you would want to see what you're going to advertise."

Erwin showed Levi around the building, which was much bigger than it seemed from the outside. He led him down the many dark hallways leading to the girls' rooms and introduced him to the few of them who didn't sleep or had clients at the moment, some of them who Levi faintly remembered to have seen on the stage the previous night. Most of them waved at him with their long lashes and talked to him in low flirty tones, obviously hoping to get a visit from the painter at some time.

Levi decided to be polite to make his work with Erwin go as smoothly as possible, but he didn't really care about any of the girls. Erwin pointed out the best dancers for him, which he would be making posters of, and Levi wrote down their names and asked them what time of day they would prefer to model for him. Most of them seemed flattered by his questions, and told him that they would always be at his service. Levi had trouble hiding his disgusted expression as he found them vulgar and shameless, and he let out an inaudible sigh as he and Erwin moved on.

Erwin showed him the way to the stage while telling the painter how he wanted the posters.

"I have the impression that you prefer to paint in light colours, Monsieur Levi," he said while leading the other man to the dressing-room, where a few tailors were working on new costumes and a single girl was trying on something that just looked like a lot of feathers to the painter. They all looked up as the two men entered the room, but Erwin ignored them. "You use a lot of green and blue colours, am I right?"

"Yes," Levi answered and scowled at the many colourful costumes in the room, "People get the feeling of freedom from the green colours, and I believe most people need something that makes them feel free."

"But, as you see, we don't really use those colours at the La Maison des Chats," Erwin said and snapped his fingers at one of the tailors and told him that the girl wore too many feathers before continuing, "I hope you are willing to change your style for this project."

"You want me to paint in darker and more passionate colours," Levi stated, knowing exactly what Erwin wanted from him, "Red, Bordeaux, purple, gold?"

"Exactly, Monsieur Levi, I like the way you think," Erwin smirked and led him out of the room again.

"I do know how to please my costumers," Levi said, hoping the tour would end soon.

"Then you will fit in here perfectly," Erwin smirked and let out a laugh at his own joke. Levi let a displeased frown cross his face but didn't let Erwin see it.

As the tour around the La Maison des Chats finally ended by the hallway to the scene, Erwin turned towards Levi again.

"I'm looking forward to working with you, Monsieur Levi," Erwin smiled and patted the painter on the shoulder.

"Likewise," Levi said, and offered the taller man a handshake.

"I assume you and Monsieur Darcy will be visiting us often then?" Erwin asked and took Levi's hand.

"I think Mister Darcy will be visiting quite often no matter what," Levi huffed, thinking about his perverted friend who apparently loved to watch girls taking off their clothes.

"Please come too," Erwin said without letting go of Levi's hand, "It will make it easier for us to work together, and of course both you and Monsieur Darcy will get special treatment."

"What do you mean?" Levi asked, hoping the tall blonde would let go of his hand soon.

"Since we're working together, I will offer you the best treatment the La Maison des Chats can offer. Free access to the shows, the best seats, discount at the bar," Erwin listed up, "Discount on the girls, even."

"I am not interested in such services," Levi said as politely as possible but leaving no doubt that he was serious.

"That includes Mademoiselle Chasseuse," Erwin smirked, noticing the small change in Levi's eyes by the mentioning of Eren. "I take that as a yes, then!"

"You can leave the discount for Darcy," Levi huffed and pulled his hand back.

"Are you coming to watch the show tonight, then?" Erwin asked, suppressing a laugh at Levi's displeased expression.

"I don't think so. I might want to spend the evening working. It's a big project and I'm going to get that bonus you're offering me," Levi answered and nodded at Erwin as goodbye as he turned around to leave.

He went behind the stage and found the stairs leading to the dance-hall as music began playing from the band, hidden between the stage and the floor. He moved between the tables in the hall, where he and Hanji had been seated the previous night, heading for the exit. Without looking back at the stage, he could hear that someone was rehearsing but he didn't care to look.

"Monsieur Levi!"

Levi stopped and turned around to look at the stage, where the familiar voice came from. Eren had stopped moving as he saw Levi, waving at him from the middle of the scene where he was straddling a chair with his legs wide open.

"Chasseuse, get back to work," Erwin's voice sounded from the corner of the stage, where he had apparently gone to after Levi left him.

"Pardon, Monsieur Erwin, it will only take a moment," Eren apologized and got up from the chair in a swift movement.

Levi looked at Erwin who waved his hand at Eren, signalling for him to do as he pleased. Eren thanked him and ran down the catwalk as fast as he could in his high heels. He jumped gracefully from the edge and landed on the floor almost without making a sound, before walking the last few steps towards Levi. The painter studied the boy as he approached him with a bright smile. He was wearing a very tight corset, which made his slim figure seem even more slender and Levi wondered how he was able to breath in that outfit.

"I just wanted to thank you, Monsieur," Eren said lowly as he stopped in front of the older man, "I really appreciate your help last night."

"What are you talking about?" Levi asked, lifting his eyebrow at the boy.

"The money you gave me last night," Eren elaborated, looking back over his shoulder at his boss, who kept a firm look at him, "You really saved me, Monsieur, thank you."

Levi looked at Eren with a puzzled expression, trying to figure out what on earth he was talking about. He remembered what Hanji had said about Eren having tricked him into paying him last night, and studied Eren's green eyes to find a sign of confirmation about what she had said. Eren looked at him with honesty in his eyes and offered the painter a sweet smile.

"Will you be seeing the show tonight, Monsieur?" he asked with hopeful eyes.

"I don't think so," Levi answered and looked away, "I have work to do."

"Oh, I hope you will come to see the show again soon," Eren smiled and cocked his head, "And will you be painting me again soon?"

"If not sooner, then Saturday," Levi answered and looked over Eren's shoulder at Erwin, who still kept his eyes on them.

"Thank you, Monsieur," Eren said and turned around to leave for the stage, before his boss would get angry at him. He looked back at Levi over his shoulder; "I... I look forward to work with you again."

Eren ran towards the scene and jumped back up as gracefully as always, before Levi could manage to answer him. Erwin snapped his fingers at the boy and the musicians and yelled something in French as Eren got back on the chair and the music began playing again. As Eren began singing and moving, he looked down at Levi again and send him another sweet smile.

Levi turned around and headed for the exit without returning the smile. As he moved between the tables he could feel Eren's eyes on him until he walked though the golden doors and turned down the dark hallway.

Eren looked after Levi, not able to take his eyes off the Englishman. Distracted as he was, he tripped over the chair as he moved his leg to place a foot on the seat, but his animal-like reflexes allowed him to catch his balance before falling, and he looked back at Erwin to see if he had noticed his mistake.

Erwin had his back turned towards Eren, apparently talking to one of the tailors who had come to talk to him about a costume. Eren sighed in relief before continuing his song and moving as if nothing had happened.

He really hoped Levi would come back soon.

* * *

A/N: Due to all the research and backup-checking I'm doing for this fanfic, my updates won't be as frequent as in my other fanfictions. I didn't really pay much attention during my history-classes and all I know about old France is what I've learned from Moulin Rouge and Phantom of the Opera. So yeah, I'm researching the living shit out of this fic to make it as realistic as possible - aside from the supernatural elements, such as Eren being a were-cat of course. Please let me know if you find any errors.

Thank you for reading and the reviews, favourites and follows. This chapter is unbeta'd but I've read it through a couple of times myself, and I hope it's good enough. I hope you enjoyed it.

Update: Thank you to the kind guest, who pointed out the flaws in my french. As mentioned earlier, I have to use googletranslate for the french parts, and apparently it fails me horribly. I have corrected the errors, and hopefully it won't happen again. If anyone speaks french and and want to assist me, I would be so grateful.


	5. Priorities

A couple of days later, Levi once again found himself in front of the heavy wooden-door, leading to Eren's room. He was actually feeling a bit tired from the last couple of days' hard work, which had included meetings with Erwin and making sketches for the posters, drawing nearly naked girls, studying their costumes and getting to know the neighbourhood. He had barely gotten any sleep since he came to Paris, but he needed a night off now - which he wanted to spend on making a painting of Eren.

He had told Hanji about Erwin giving both of them the best privileges La Maison des Chats could offer, and she had tried to drag him along to watch the shows ever since. He had refused and told her that unlike her, he had work to do. He knew he could easily manage to earn the bonus and finish the job within the two months he had been given, and he wasn't interested in working for Erwin longer than necessary. Hanji had tried to teach him the basics of the French language, but it was really far from English, and he was close to giving up and just let his paintings sell themselves. He had forced her to show him around and point out the best parks and green areas in Paris, but somehow he didn't felt like painting anything other than Eren. Which was why he had decided to pay for the boys time and spend the night painting him.

Levi knocked on the door, but nothing happened. He leaned in, trying to listen through the door, and then knocked again. As he still didn't get an answer, he looked at Gunther - the guard, who's only job apparently was to keep watch over Eren - and asked him if Chasseuse was in there. He got a single nod in return and when he asked if she was alone, Gunther nodded again.

Levi frowned at the guard, who apparently wasn't talkative at all, and decided not to wait for Eren to answer the door. He opened the door slowly and looked inside, before letting himself in and closing the door behind him. The room was dark, aside from the moonlight shining through the windows. The owner of the room was nowhere in sight.

"Eren?" Levi asked, and looked around, trying to find a sign that the boy was in the room.

He began to question whether the boy was even there and if Gunther had understood his question. The only thing that moved was the many thin curtains over the bed, flowing in the wind from the open entrance to the balcony. Levi moved further inside the dark room, looking around to see if the boy was sleeping or hiding in one of the corners. He was still nowhere to be found.

Levi placed his painting-equipment on a table near the door and approached the balcony. As he went outside and let the moonlight touch his body, he finally saw the boy - or rather, the cat. He was curled up in the corner of the railing around the balcony, trying to hide in the shadows, but his white fur stood out in the moonlight.

"Eren," Levi said lowly and approached the cat, who still pretended not to be there, "I'm sorry, you prefer Chasseuse, right?"

Eren finally looked up at him and hissed loudly, showing his teeth, letting his coat bristle and tail frizz. Levi jerked back at the aggressive reaction and sent Eren a puzzled look. Eren curled up against the cold stone-wall again and turned his eyes to the rooftops surrounding the building.

"What's the matter?" Levi asked and slowly approached the cat again. Eren ignored him and kept his eyes at the city. Levi hesitated before reaching out and gently touching Eren. The cat lowered his head to avoid the touch, but as Levi gently began nuzzling him behind the ear, he leaned into the caress.

"Are you okay?" Levi asked lowly and knelt down next to the railing. Eren turned his head to look up at him with bright green eyes, and let out a muffled meow. "I do not speak cat," the painter huffed and lifted his eyebrow at the cat in front of him. Eren sent him an annoyed look in return, and turned his head to the view once again.

"Now, come on," Levi said and began nuzzling him behind the ear again, "Tell me what happened."

Eren still refused to look at him, but began purring lowly as Levi used his other hand to stroke his back. Annoyed by his own reaction, Eren began swinging his tail violently from side to side.

"While you're quite adorable as a cat, I refuse to spend my money on petting you," Levi sighed as Eren still wouldn't turn back to his normal self, "If something bad happened, then please return to your human-form and tell me about it, or I will go home and tell Monsieur Erwin that I won't pay him to play with his pet."

Eren shook him a furious look and sat up as he slowly returned to his human-form while keeping his eyes locked with Levi's. Levi stood up as the boy transformed, thinking that he didn't want his face to be at the level of the railing when Eren had turned human.

"You promised me not to tell Monsieur Erwin that I showed you my cat-form!" Eren yelled, now sitting butt-naked at the cold stone railing.

"And I won't," Levi said coldly and looked down at the boy, "But it worked, didn't it?"

Realizing he had fallen for Levi's trick, Eren's cheeks turned red from fury and he let his ears and tail pop out again, obviously ready to turn back to his cat-form but Levi grabbed his wrist and pulled him down from the railing and inside the dark room.

"Stop that, I was serious about not wanting to spend my money on entertaining a pet," he hissed and pulled a blanket from the bed and wrapped it around Eren's naked body, "Now get some clothes on, for Christ sake, before you catch a cold."

Eren kept his eyes on the painter's stubborn face, studying him with narrowed green eyes, trying to figure out his motives.

"Why are you doing this, Monsieur Levi?" he then asked in a softer tone, wrapping the blanket tighter around himself.

"I told you, I refuse to spend my money-"

"No, I mean - why do you even care about me?" Eren cut him off and sat down at the edge of the bed. From what Levi could see, Eren's face wore a serious frown as he still kept his eyes on him. He turned to close the door to the balcony and went around the room to turn on a few kerosene lamps, before pulling a chair closer to the bed, where he sat down, resting his elbows on his knees.

"Yes, why indeed?" he said, trying to figure out why he actually cared, "I guess I just don't want my muse to get sick."

"I'm hardly your muse, Monsieur," Eren huffed in disbelief and looked away.

"Muses comes in many shapes, _Mademoiselle Chasseuse,_" - he said the name in a slightly mocking tone - "Mine just happened to be a were-cat and a prostitute from Paris, no matter how unlikely it sounds."

Levi leaned back in the chair, straightening his clothes, and sent Eren a cold look, remembering what he came for. He thought about ordering the boy to strike a pose and move on with his work without talking to him more than necessary, but something in Eren's eyes made him hesitate. Eren kept pulling the blanket tighter around his body and didn't let their eyes meet.

"What's with the attitude?" Levi asked and crossed his arms under his chest, "You seemed so... flirty and careless the last time I was here."

"I'm sorry, Monsieur, I know this isn't what you pay me for," Eren sighed and made a move to get up from the bed, "Just give me a minute to get dressed and then I'll be right back to my usual self, I promise."

"That is not what I meant," Levi said calmly, "Sit down. You do not have to put up an act for me."

Eren sat down at the edge of the bed again, looking a bit confused.

"Why were you out there in the middle of the night?" Levi asked and let a more friendly expression settle on his face.

"I just needed some fresh air," Eren answered, obviously finding it weird to be himself in front of a 'client'.

"Don't lie to me," the painter said and locked eyes with the boy again, "You were curled up in your cat-form and refused to talk to me. Tell me what happened."

Eren stared at him in wonder, not understanding why the painter cared about why he was in a bad mood, but then he sighed and moved a bit closer to him. He let go of the blanket and let it pool around his crotch to reveal several dark bruises and small wounds. Levi looked down the boy's body with an expressionless look, but wondered how he could have missed the marks when Eren returned to his human-form at the balcony.

"I had a client shortly before you came to see me," Eren said lowly, "He... He did this to me and didn't let me prepare myself properly before having se-"

"Yes, I understand," Levi cut him off, not wanting to get unnecessary pictures in his head, and gestured for Eren to continue.

"It hurts," Eren stated and locked eyes with Levi again. His face looked strangely relaxed but his eyes showed how traumatizing the experience had been to him. "I wanted to be alone and lick my wounds, but then you showed up, Monsieur."

"I'm sorry," Levi said lowly, feeling a little pinch in his chest by Eren's tale about the client.

"No, I'm glad it was you," Eren said, letting a tiny smile cross his face, "That means I won't be having any other clients tonight."

Levi studied the boy in front of him, who seemed a bit flustered and tried to cover his bruised skin again. He wasn't sure if he should take it as a compliment that Eren was glad he was there, and he especially couldn't figure out why he cared about what had happened to him. He had come to paint and it was extremely frustrating to be pulled into the life of a prostitute like that, but he couldn't get himself to treat Eren any differently. He sighed and got up from the chair, moving towards the door while Eren looked at him with a confused expression. Levi opened the door to the hallway and snapped his fingers at Gunther, who happened to take a nap during his watch.

"You!" Levi said loudly, waking up the guard, "Bring me some ice. And make it snappy, or I will inform Monsieur Erwin that you were sleeping during your watch."

"O-oui, Monsieur!" the guard said and bowed, before heading down the hallway to execute his orders.

Levi returned to the chair without saying anything and Eren just looked at him in wonder. He felt both confused about the kind act, and impressed by Levi's way of ordering the staff around. Levi leaned back in the chair and sighed, dragging his hand trough his black locks.

A few moments later, Gunther returned with a silver-bowl filled with ice, placed it on the table and excused himself before shutting the door behind him.

Levi went up to get the ice and placed the bowl on the chair, before sitting down on the floor next to the bed.

"Lay down," he ordered, while wrapping a few pieces of ice in a piece of cloth from the bed. Eren did as told and laid down on his back, keeping his eyes on Levi. The painter gently removed the blanket from Eren's torso and placed the ice on one of his bruises. Eren shuddered from the cold sensation on his naked chest but didn't fight Levi's attempt to help him.

"It's cold," Eren stated with a shaky voice as goosebumps grew all over his body.

"I know, but it will sooth the pain," Levi said without looking at Eren's face, focusing on covering the bruises in ice. "Why would you let a client do this to you? Are you some kind of masochist?"

"No, not at all, Monsieur," Eren answered and looked at the ceiling while Levi treated his sore body.

"I asked you to call me Levi," Levi said, still tired of the French language, and even more after his lessons with Hanji. Eren let out a small laugh, but didn't say anything. "Why did you let your client treat you like this? I thought you were Monsieur Erwin's precious star, and that you were to take care of yourself."

"That is correct, Monsieur," Eren answered and Levi sighed at his insistence on calling him Monsieur, but didn't care to correct him again. "But this client is special. He is one of Monsieur Erwin's most generous benefiters, and I've been told to let him do as he pleases, to make sure he keeps giving Monsieur Erwin money."

Levi stopped his treatment and looked at Eren with a frown on his face. Everything Eren told him about Erwin and La Maison des Chats seemed to be the complete opposite of what Erwin had told him. Being one of the most popular nightclubs in Paris, Erwin should earn plenty of money and not have to let his benefiters treat his girls - and boy - like this. Eren blushed a bit by the frown he was met with, and looked away.

"Please, don't look at me like that, Monsieur," he said lowly and scratched his neck.

"Turn around, please," Levi said, after checking the bruises on Eren's chest. The swelling had gotten better already, and he wanted to give the bruises on the boy's back the same treatment. Eren moved on the bed to lay on his stomach, making the blanket move halfway down his ass, but he didn't care. He rested his head on his arms and looked at Levi again. The painter began placing fresh ice on Eren's back, ignoring the boy's eyes on him. A couple of moments went by before Levi spoke up again, still not looking at Eren.

"Why are you here?"

"It's my room, Monsieur," Eren answered with a confused tone, not sure if he understood the question.

"No, why are you here - at La Maison des Chats?" Levi corrected himself, "You don't seem to be happy here."

"It's my home," Eren answered and lifted his head to look at his hands, fiddling with the sheet under him.

"What about your family?" Levi asked after another moment of silence. He knew he shouldn't get involved in something like this, but he was too curious - and there was just something about Eren. He wasn't sure what the boy triggered in him, but he couldn't get himself to stop caring about him.

"I..." Eren hesitated for a moment, but then he continued, "I don't have any family. I was abandoned as a kitten - or child - and I lived on the streets until Monsieur Erwin picked me up and brought me here."

Levi stopped the treatment to look at Eren, not able to hide that he was taken aback by what Eren had told him. How anyone was able to abandon such a gorgeous - and very kind, actually - kid, was beyond his imagination. Even with all the bruises and scratches, he couldn't picture Eren living alone on the street, as he laid there gracefully on the over-sized bed with his bright green eyes and apologizing smile, as he saw Levi's reaction to his story.

"I'm sorry, Monsieur, I'm talking too much," he said with a shy smile.

"No. I told you to stop acting, and besides, I asked you myself," Levi said and turned to rest his shoulder against the bed, letting the ice work it's miracles on Eren's back. "Tell me more."

"There's not much to tell," Eren said and smiled again, feeling a bit flattered about the painters interest in him.

"Why are you staying if you don't like it here?"

"I have no talent aside from spreading my legs, Monsieur," Eren answered, and giggled a bit by Levi's reaction to his choice of words, "I wouldn't know what to do if I ran away."

"You are young, you've got plenty of opportunities," Levi said, trying to cheer Eren on, but he really hoped Eren wouldn't ask him which opportunities. If he had been living on the street till the age of twelve, then he obviously didn't have any kind of education, and all Levi knew about the boy was that he could dance, sing and 'spread his legs' to use his own words. "You shouldn't settle on being a prostitute," he continued before Eren could ask.

"You don't understand how this place works, Monsieur Levi," Eren said and looked down at his hands again, "I can't just leave. I just can't."

"If you really can't leave, then why don't you just work as a doorman or guard? I don't understand why you would allow those rich bastards to abuse you, just because Monsieur Erwin wants more money," Levi insisted, moving a bit closer to Eren's head to force him to look at him.

"No, you don't understand, and you don't need to either," Eren said and raised his voice a bit. Levi sensed that Eren felt cornered up by now, and something in him wanted to press the boy further, but the tense expression on Eren's face made him hold back. Eren bit his lower lip and took a deep breath. "Please, Monsieur, just leave it."

"Fine, brat," Levi huffed and moved back to change the ice on Eren's back, "Turn around again."

Eren rolled over to expose his tanned chest, and Levi checked the bruises and laid fresh ice on the ones that still needed treatment. Eren stared into the ceiling, none of them saying anything.

"Monsieur Levi?" Eren then asked after a couple of minutes in silence, and got up on his elbows to look at the painter.

"Hm?" Levi mumbled and raised an eyebrow at Eren.

"Please don't call me Chasseuse again."

"I thought you preferred that name?" Levi asked with a dull voice, looking down at the bruises again.

"N-no, I mean..." Eren hesitated for a moment, trying to find the right words, "I guess that is my artist-name, but... I really like the way you say my name. _'Eren'._" He tried to mimic Levi's accent, but it didn't come out right at all. Levi huffed out a single laugh at Eren's attempt to speak British.

"Then you have to stop calling me Monsieur Levi," he smirked and got up on his knees to take a better look at the bruises, "I have told you many times to call me Levi."

"Levi," Eren purred and smirked back at the painter. Levi noticed a teasing look in his green orbs, before Eren laid back down at the bed and returned his glance to the ceiling.

"I don't know what to do about the scratches, brat," Levi said after letting his fingers brush over Eren's bruised skin, confirming that he had done what he could to help him, "I guess you just have to cover it up somehow, when you're on stage."

"You know, felines tend to lick each others wounds to help them heal faster," Eren said with a teasing smile, and let his eyes wander back down to meet Levi's.

"Too bad I'm not a feline then," Levi teased back, letting a smug smile cross his lips. He ruffled Eren's hair, earning him a low purr, and got up from the floor. "Get some sleep, brat. I'm heading back home." He pulled out a bundle of cash from his inner-pocket and threw a hundred francs on the mattress next to Eren, who got up to count the money.

"You gave me too much, Monsie - I mean, Levi," he said and got up to return the money.

"No, I'm paying for the entire night. Use your free-time wisely," Levi stated and looked back at the boy while he tried to wrap the blanket around his waist.

"It's still too much," he said, and handed twenty francs back to the painter.

"Then I guess you get more than twenty percent tonight," Levi smirked and headed towards the door.

"Wait, Levi," Eren said and grabbed Levi's wrist. He turned around with a questioning look in his eyes, and Eren sent him a bright smile. "Come watch the show tomorrow."

Levi wanted to yell at Eren and tell him that he didn't came to Paris to waste his time on naked girls and poor entertaining. He wanted to tell him not to ask such foolish things of him. He wanted to tell him not to get too friendly with him, because after all, he was only there to paint him. But Eren's bright and hopeful smile made him keep his mouth shut, and he let a frown settle on his face.

"I will think about it," he huffed and looked down at Eren's fingers around his wrist, "Don't get your hopes up, I am a busy man."

Eren let go of his wrist and folded his hands in front of him, still smiling brightly.

"I hope you find the time," he beamed and cocked his head, making him look unbearably adorable.

Levi lifted his eyebrow at him before sighing and opening the door in front of him. He waved back at Eren without looking at him, as he left the room and made sure to shut the door behind him. The guard was sleeping against the wall again, and Levi didn't care to wake him up, only to inform him that he had paid for the whole night, and that he shouldn't let any other clients visit Eren.

He walked down the hallway, trying to convince himself that his uncharacteristic behaviour around the brat was only due to lack of sleep. He went back to Hanji's apartment, trying not to think about it, but as he turned the last corner and went down the street where they lived, he realized he had forgotten his painting-equipment at Eren's room - and that he had completely forgotten to paint him!

Levi sighed and promised himself to go back for it the next day. Maybe he would go watch the show when he was there anyway.

* * *

A/N: I corrected a few errors in the French parts, 'cause googletranslate sucks. Eren's stagename has been changed from Chasseur to Chasseuse, and the correct name for the club is La Maison des Chats. I'm sorry about the fuckup, and I hope it won't ruin the story that I've changed those things.

Thanks for reading, and I hope you liked it! The next chapter will probably be up soon, 'cause I've been looking forward to writing that chapter ever since I came up with the storyline for this fanfiction. Thanks for the reviews and especially thank you to the guest who corrected my poor French. Hopefully it won't happen again.


	6. The Lovecats

Levi was tired and wanted to go to bed, but as soon as he set his feet in Hanji's apartment, he knew he wouldn't be able to fall asleep right away. Hanji had gone to bed, and even though she should have learned by now, that he had claimed the bedroom and she was to settle with the couch, he decided to let her sleep for now. She had probably thought that he would spend the entire night painting Eren, and if he wasn't going to sleep anyway, there was no reason to wake her up.

He hang his jacket over a chair, and went to the kitchen to make a cup of tea, hoping it would help him relax. His body felt tired from many days of hard work, but his mind was running at full force. Mostly thoughts about Eren.

As he put the kettle on, waiting for the water to boil, he thought about everything Eren had told him that night. It wasn't that he couldn't understand why some people had to abandon their children - or cats for that matter - due to financial issues, since it often happened in London as well. He tried to picture Eren sitting on a street in London, begging for money and very dirty. It was hard to imagine from the few times he had seen Eren. He was always clean and most of the time wore expensive costumes, and even though he didn't look as healthy as other boys his age, he looked nothing like the homeless children he had seen. La Maison des Chats would of course be preferable over the streets, but why would a sixteen year old chose to work as a prostitute? And why did he even care?

Levi sighed and rubbed his face, trying to get the boy out of his head. Why _did_ he care about him? He had painted so many girls through the years, especially in his early days as a painter, and some of them had he painted several times. Some of them had been very beautiful, and he had wanted to capture every single beauty-spot of their bodies, painting them over and over again; but Eren was different. Maybe his feline-nature played a part, making him a gorgeous fusion between an elegant cat and a very beautiful boy. Maybe it was the tragic fact that such a beauty lived in a brothel and worked as a prostitute. Maybe it just that he was Eren.

He kicked himself mentally for getting involved. He should really put a stop to his desire to paint Eren, and just settle with his work for Erwin, and then move on to paint big-ass trees and green areas as he used to do back in London. The fact that Eren played tricks on his mind, was dangerous. But what was his work really worth if there was no passion?

Levi tried to push the thoughts to the back of his head, knowing he wouldn't be able to come up with a solution now. He made himself a cup of tea and brought it to the living-room, where he sat down on the couch in the dark room. He tried to focus on the aroma from the tea and empty his head, hoping to be able to sleep soon. Everytime he didn't focus on the tea or the posters he was going to make, Eren popped right back into his mind, and he would find himself thinking about which shade of green his eyes was or how the shadows would embrace his tanned body while lying on his bed in his dark room. This was more that desire to paint his beautiful features - he wanted to touch and feel him.

He shook his head, trying to get rid of Eren once and for all. He still wasn't tired enough to kick Hanji out of the bedroom and go to bed.

He felt the urge to paint, and decided to move the easel to the window and paint until he would be able to sleep. He got up from the couch and straightened his back, before pulling out a canvas and his paintbrushes. The view from the window reminded him of the view from Eren's balcony, with the many rooftops over Paris, lit up by the moonlight. Levi loosened his cravat before dipping the tip of the brush in black paint and blended it with blue, searching for the right colour for the night-sky. He emptied his head and began painting. Caught up in his work, he finally managed to let go of his thoughts and just paint.

Several hours later, Hanji joined him in the living-room, only wearing a loose white shirt and sleepy eyes.

"Morning," she yawned and rubbed her eyes, "You're up early."

"I haven't slept yet" Levi mumbled, without looking at her, as he leaned in over the canvas to check the details of a rooftop.

"Why not?" she asked, and moved closer to look at the painting over his shoulder.

"Because that wide ass of yours were occupying the entire bed," he said with a dull voice, still not looking at her.

"That sure as hell haven't stopped you before" she huffed and pushed him away from the easel to take a look at his work, not caring about the insult. Levi growled as he had to step back but he was too tired to argue. "Besides," Hanji said, with her face so close to the canvas that her nose almost touched the painting, "I thought you were gonna spend the night at Eren's room?"

"I was, but," he hesitated, not sure if he should tell Hanji about his talk with Eren. He decided not to. "The boy was tired. I let him off early and went back here to paint."

"You paid him for the entire night, didn't you?"

"Maybe. Yes. What's it to you?" Levi huffed and rubbed his sore eyes.

"Why would you do that? Why are you spending all your money on him?" Hanji asked, looking back at him. The words sounded hard, but there was more curiosity to find in her voice than reproach.

"I don't, and it's none of your business" Levi hissed, sending her an annoyed look through tired eyes.

"I'm only asking you because I care about you," Hanji said lowly and offered him a kind smile, "Eren is a good boy, there's no doubt about that, but he _is _a hooker. I just want to make sure you're aware of the soft spot you've evolved for the boy."

"No one has ever managed to take advantage of me, and I do not plan on letting that happen anytime soon," Levi brushed her off. "Now, if you will excuse me - I would like to get some sleep. Don't touch the painting."

"Wouldn't dream of it," Hanji said, returning her attention to the canvas. She heard the door to the bedroom slamming after him, and looked back to see if he was really gone before reaching out to touch the drying painting.

"I said don't touch it!" Levi yelled from behind the closed door, making Hanji jerk back.

"I wasn't!" she answered, thinking that he knew her a little too well. She looked down at the canvas again, studying the painted rooftops under the moon, as she spotted a brown and white cat on one of the roofs, looking up at the sky.

Levi undressed in front of the mirror, studying the dark circles under his eyes. It made him feel old, even though he knew it was from the hard work and lack of sleep. He should have just stayed in London, where he was well-known and didn't have to work so hard to earn his money. Had he just stayed where he belonged, he could have avoided working for Erwin and living with Hanji. And letting a sixteen year old prostitute take over his mind. Eren was way too attractive for him to just paint him and settle on that. He was bold, flirty and seemed very emotional. Hanji was right, he had evolved a soft spot for the boy.

Levi sighed and rubbed his eyes. He couldn't really keep on lying to himself, but he wasn't ready to think that thought to an end. Maybe he was just tired and overwhelmed by what Eren had told him. Hopefully, that was it. As he curled up under the blankets, he fell asleep almost instantly, dreaming about a white and brown cat with gorgeous green eyes.

* * *

Later that night, Hanji and Levi sat at one of the best tables in the dance-hall at La Maison des Chats, getting the very best treatment just like Erwin had promised them. As soon as Hanji had found out that Levi had forgotten his painting-equipment at Eren's room and almost promised the boy to go watch the show that night, she had insisted on them going together and take advantage of Erwin's offer. Of course they didn't have to wait in line or pay to get inside, and they got a table right next to the scene, giving them a very good view of the preforming girls - a little too good a view, Levi thought. He didn't have the urge to see their nearly-naked bodies that up close, unlike Hanji. Erwin had come by their table before the show started, and brought them a bottle of very fine whiskey. They had talked for a bit, and Levi had ended up promising him to come by his office a couple of days later, to show him his progress on the posters. He had left them when the show was about to start, and told them to let the waiters know if they needed anything. Hanji was enjoying the special-treatment, but Levi felt a bit uneasy by the whole thing. He kept thinking that this was not what he had come to Paris for, but there was no way back now.

Luckily the show started before Hanji managed to talk more about it. Levi didn't really pay attention while Ymir and Annie was on the stage, even though they were so close he could practically reach out and touch them. Erwin had probably offered them such good seats to get some of the money, Levi earned from him, back again through the girls, but he wasn't going to give them a single franc.

He ignored Ymir as she danced right past him, shaking her hips in front of his face, and then walked over to Hanji, who didn't hesitate to stuff her panties with a couple of francs.

"You're really boring, you know that?" Hanji whispered as the girls walked off the stage again.

"And you're really annoying," Levi hissed back and focused on his drink as the next girl entered the scene. He didn't care about the tiny blonde girl waltzing around on the stage. He just wanted to watch Eren - no, wait, what was he thinking? He had kind of promised Eren to watch the show, and _that_ was why he was there. He emptied his glass to get his thoughts back on the right track. He was here because he promised Eren to come, and because Hanji had forced him. And to pick up his painting equipment later. That was it.

The blonde girl - Christa was it? He had talked to her a couple of days ago after a meeting with Erwin, but he wasn't sure he had gotten the name right. She approached him, trying to get his attention by rubbing her chest against his shoulder and placing her long, smooth leg on the arm-rest of his chair. He didn't spare her a single look and she moved on to collect tips from the other guests.

"How can you ignore them when they're all over you?" Hanji said, leaning in over the table between them, and filling their glasses.

"It's called self-control. You should look it up sometime" Levi answered coldly and grabbed his glass as soon as it was full again.

"There's no need for self-control in a place like this," Hanji stated and clicked their glasses against each other. "That's why people come here."

"It's bloody disgusting. There is a reason this is kept behind closed doors. Things like this would never be allowed out on the open street, it's too filthy" Levi said with a frown, and hoped that the show would end soon, so he could go get his bloody equipment.

"Clearly you've never been to Singapore," Hanji smirked and turned her attention towards the stage again as Christa left it and Erwin appeared to present the next performance. As he presented the next name, Levi turned his eyes to the stage.

Eren walked onto the stage with a very pleased smirk, as the music began playing. He wore a tight black corset with white laces and little bows at his hips, and a pair of white ruffle panties, complete with a black garter belt made of laces and white stockings with a big black bow on each thigh. Unlike the last time Levi saw him perform, he wore high black heels, strutting down the catwalk with his tail in his hand, swinging it playfully, while his ears were also showing. He let out a moan as intro to his song, under loud cheering from the crowd.

_"__We move like cagey tigers,__  
__We couldn't get closer than this,__  
__The way we walk,__  
__The way we talk,__  
__The way we stalk,__  
__The way we kiss," _he sang, letting the last word escape his lips as a whisper, while slowly approaching a chair at the end of the catwalk, placed there just before his performance.

_"We slip through the streets,  
__While everyone sleeps,  
__Getting bigger and sleeker,  
__And wider and brighter," _he sang and smacked his ass down on the chair with his legs spread widely, slowly letting his fingers run up his inner-thighs. He arched his back and let his head roll back, exposing his neck. Then he jerked forward, placing his hands on his knees and leaned forward with his locked with Levi's, cocking his head with a teasing smile, while singing; _"We bite and scratch and scream all night,  
__Let's go and throw,  
__All the songs we know."_

Levi's eyes were locked with Eren's, as the boy moved on the chair. Levi wondered how Eren's was able to move like that _and _sing, while wearing the tight corset. After seeing him naked a couple of times, he - somehow - remembered every little part of the slender body, and the corset looked so tight that Eren shouldn't even be able to breath normally. Despite that, his movements were as seductive and smooth as ever, and Levi couldn't take his eyes off of him.

Eren got up from the chair gracefully, turned around and leaned his hands against the seat, sticking his ass out, while shaking it. The ruffles on his panties fluttered as he moved his hips, while making little whips with the tip of his tail.

_"Into the sea,  
__You and me,  
__All these years and no one heard,  
__I'll show you in spring,  
__It's a treacherous thing,  
__We missed you hissed the lovecats," _he sang the last word with a high-pitched moan, and jumped forward to land on the seat again, straddling the chair, moving his hips slowly and straightened his back while slowly pulling his fingers through his hair. While pulling his own head back by the hair, he exposed his neck again and let the spotlight embrace his body, making every nook and line of his shoulders and arms stand out. A thought about wanting to be the chair underneath Eren, crossed Levi's mind and he poured down a full glass of whiskey to get rid of the thought.

_"We're so wonderfully wonderfully wonderfully wonderfully pretty!"_ Eren sang, while grabbing the back of the chair with both hands and leaning the chair to the side, looking out at the crowd with a animal-like expression in his green eyes, before letting the chair fall back to place.

_"Oh, you know that I'd do anything for you,"_ he continued and stood up with one leg on each side of the seat. He pulled the chair out in front of him and spun it around before placing his left foot on the seat.

_"We should have each other to tea, huh?  
__We should have each other with cream,  
__Then curl up by the fire,  
__And sleep for awhile,  
__It's the grooviest thing,  
__It's the perfect dream,"_ he purred while locking eyes with Levi again, and leaned in over his leg, slowly letting his fingers touch his leg from the ankle to the knee and all over his thigh to the edge of his panties. He let his finger wander over his hips and chest, and as he got up to stand on the seat, slowly kneeling down while moving his hips from side to side, until his butt almost touched his heels, he sang;

_"Into the sea,  
__You and me,  
__All these years and no one heard,  
__I'll show you in spring,  
__It's a treacherous thing -"_

He spread his legs to land on the seat again, and whipped his hair back while touching his thighs again; _"- we missed you hissed the lovecats!"_

Eren slowly leaned back while holding onto the back on the chair with one hand -_ "we're so wonderfully wonderfully wonderfully wonderfully pretty!"_ - until his back was completely arched and the tips of his hair touched the floor. His eyes shined as he let his hands wander over the corset and slowly pulled his legs up until they were both straight up in the air against the back of the chair.

_"You know that I'd do anything for you,  
__We should have each other to dinner,  
__We should have each other with cream -"_

Levi swallowed hard, and noticed how dry his throat felt by now. He grabbed his glass to take a sip of his whiskey, and realized that it was already empty. When had he even emptied it? He moved his eyes away from Eren again to pour himself another glass, and took a sip as he let his eyes return to the boy, like he had magnetising powers over him.

_" - Then curl up in the fire,  
__Get up for awhile,  
__It's the grooviest thing,  
__It's the perfect dream."_

Eren let his body fall to the side and landed on the floor without making a sound and began crawling towards the edge of the of the catwalk. He rolled over to lie on his back and bend his knees while letting his fingers slide up his sides and through his hair.

_"Hand in hand,  
__Is the only way to land,  
__And always the right way round," _Eren purred, and slowly lifted his ass off of the floor and let his tail stroke the inside of his thighs.

He rolled over again before sitting up with his legs over the edge of the catwalk. He crossed his legs and snapped his fingers to the beat while rolling his shoulders.

_"Not broken in pieces,  
__Like hated little meeces,  
__How could we miss,  
__Someone as dumb as this?"_

Then he jumped to the floor and strutted in and out between the tables, letting the guests leave tips in his panties and garter belt. He walked over to Levi and Hanji's table, kneeling down in front of the painter and digging his nails into his pants. He kept his eyes locked with Levi's, letting his claws out a bit and dig through the fabric of his pants, letting them scratch the painters thighs a bit, but not enough to hurt him.

_"I love you, let's go,"_ he sang, eyes still locked with the grey orbs, and got back up. He turned around and winked at Levi over his shoulder while letting his tail stroke Levi's jawline and chin.

_"Oh, solid gone."_

The boy jumped back up on the stage and placed his foot on the seat of the chair again, placing his hands on his hips and shaking his ass. Levi watched the ruffles dance around Eren's perfectly formed ass, as he moved his hips.

_"How could we miss,  
__Someone as dumb as this?"_ As he sang the last words, he kicked the chair away and walked back to the main-stage, cocking his hips from side to side.

"That was quite a show," Hanji said, looking after Eren as he walked off the stage.

Levi didn't answer her. He emptied his glass of whiskey, trying to hide behind it until he had gotten his thoughts under control. _'Quite a show', _was the understatement of the century. He pinched the bridge of his nose, trying to get the pictures of Eren straddling the chair, out of his head. Why was this happening to him? Eren was truly beautiful, but this was a complete other thing. There was no doubt he was attracted to him, and more than a little, but it was bad! It was more that sexual attraction; he felt hypnotized by the smooth movements and the bright eyes, and Eren's way of talking and singing. The boy was a prostitute and it really wouldn't make his work easier. He really had to go get his painting-equipment and get the hell out of there, and stop visiting Eren. He could find someone or something else to paint, something that wouldn't possibly mess up his entire life.

"Go fetch me another bottle of whiskey," Levi ordered and snapped his fingers at Hanji, after filling his glass and emptying the bottle.

"But what about the show?"

"Now!"

Hanji sent him a displeased look as she got up and left for the bar, while Levi rubbed his eyes, annoyed. _Bloody France._

Levi managed to pour down another half of the fresh bottle, during the remaining time of the show, earning him suspicious looks from Hanji, who had never seen him drink that fast before. He tried to focus on the girls on stage, hoping to distract himself, but everytime he blinked, the images of Eren's dance popped right back into his mind, and he had to drown the thoughts in more whiskey.

"I'll go get my things," Levi mumbled, and got up from his seat. Getting up on his feet, he suddenly felt much drunker than he thought he was, and he had to hold onto the table, while turning towards Hanji.

"Want me to carry you, Mr. Whiskey?" she asked smugly and laughed a bit as he straightened his back and tried to look sober.

"Shut your trap," he said coldly and brushed some imaginary dust off his shoulder, "Just wait here, I will be back in a moment."

"You're not gonna hang around half of the night this time?"

"No, I am just going to get my things and leave," Levi said, speaking a bit slower than usual to make sure not to stumble over his words. He turned around and left, not giving Hanji a chance to tease him further. He knew the place quite well by now, and found the fastest way to Eren's room, without running into any of the other girls. He was frustrated and annoyed, and he just wanted to get out of there. He still needed the money, otherwise he would have turned down the job and never set his feet in the nightclub again. But he really had to keep his distance from Eren in the future. It would be dangerous to even look at him, and even more to talk to him or be near him. A soft spot for someone was managable, but feelings or sexual attraction or whatever this was that made him feel so weird about Eren, was too much to deal with.

Levi went down the hallway, leading to Eren's room, and from a distance he could see the guard, Gunther, standing next to the boy's door, awake for a change. The door to Eren's room was slightly ajar and Levi nodded at Gunther before making a move to push the door open. Gunther grabbed his arm and shook his head at the painter.

"No, you cannot - Monsieur Erwin - eh?" the guard said in very poor English, nodding towards the door and obviously hoping Levi understood what he meant. Levi looked at him with a puzzled expression and then looked at the door, trying to figure out what he was saying. Then he heard voices from the other side of the door, and understood that he had to wait until Eren was alone. He sighed, and stepped back to lean against the wall on the other side of the door. Gunther returned to the wall on his side of the door, not sparing Levi another look.

Why did Eren had to be busy now? Levi just wanted to get his things, he didn't even need to talk to the boy, let alone look at him if he was still wearing his outfit from the show. Those ruffled panties around his well-formed ass had really -

Levi's chain of thoughts were cut off by the voices from the room getting louder. Levi turned his head to look at the door, trying to figure out what was going on. Gunther ignored the voices and didn't make an attempt to stop Levi from eavesdropping. Levi leaned in a bit closer, and realized it was Erwin's and Eren's voices coming from the room. They were speaking in French and Levi cursed himself for not paying more attention to Hanji's lessons, as he didn't understand much of what they said.

"...taking it too far...stop..." was all that Levi understood from Erwin's loud yelling in French. He sounded a bit angry, almost as if he was scolding Eren.

"...money...sick...treatment..." was the few words he got from what Eren yelled back in a desperate tone. A loud sound of someone smashing their hand against a table came from the room, and the voices turned silent for a moment before Erwin began yelling again, this time too fast for Levi to understand anything.

Levi looked at Gunther, who pretended nothing was happening, and that the painter wasn't there, and Levi leaned back against the wall, just in time for the door to be pulled wide open, and Erwin appeared from the room. He looked like he was about to yell back at Eren, but then his eyes fell on Levi and he kept silent, looking a bit taken aback by the painters presence.

"Monsieur Levi, what can I do for you?" the blonde asked as a wide smile appeared on his face, reaching out to pat Levi on the shoulder.

"I am just here to pick up my belongings," Levi huffed and moved past Erwin to approach the room behind him.

"I hope you don't think ill of me for talking like that to my girls," Erwin said, and held onto Levi's shoulder, "They need a firm tone, or they begin thinking they're princesses."

"It's your business, not mine. As long as you pay me, I wouldn't care even if you used them as feed for pigs," Levi huffed and shook his shoulder free from Erwin's grip.

"Very well," Erwin said with a satisfied expression on his face, "Have a good night then, Monsieur Levi."

Levi didn't answer and closed the door behind him after entering Eren's room. The room was as dark as usual, but he located his equipment within a moment, and went to pick it up.

"Monsieur Levi," Eren's voice sounded from the entrance to the balcony, as Levi moved through the room.

_"Levi!"_ the painter corrected him, without thinking about his decision about not talking to the boy.

"Leeeviii," Eren repeated, a slight tone of mock in his voice, "If you are here to paint me, I have to refuse. I'm not in the mood."

Levi stopped and looked at Eren, who was leaning against the door-frame to the balcony, looking at the floor with a displeased frown on his face. Levi bit his lip as he saw Eren was still wearing the costume from his performance, and forced himself to not look at his long legs and hips.

"I was actually going to just pick up my things and then leave," Levi huffed, keeping his eyes on Eren's face. His face changed for a second to something that looked like hurt, but Levi wasn't sure if it was just the whiskey making him see things. "But I'm curious now. What's with the attitude, brat? Is that a way to talk to a famous painter, who've saved your ass a couple of times now?"

He should _not _have drunken that last half bottle of whiskey. He was only here to pick up his things and then _leave!_ Why was he talking to Eren now? Even though Eren refused to answer him, Levi still didn't leave. The little voice in the back of his head yelled at him to pick up his things and just leave, but the booze was talking louder.

"What were you talking to Mister Erwin about?"

"Nothing," Eren mumbled and turned around, disappearing to the balcony. Letting the alcohol take over again, Levi followed him. Eren sat at the railing of the balcony, looking at the rooftops, as Levi approached him again.

"Tell me what you were talking about," he ordered and placed his hands on each side of Eren, forcing him to look at him.

"I told you, it was nothing," Eren insisted, letting his ears and tail pop out.

"Don't you dare turn into a cat now," Levi said calmly and grabbed Eren's tail. Eren hissed and whipped his tail to remove Levi's hand. Then a thought struck his mind. "Did Erwin find out you told me about being a were-cat?"

"No!" Eren said, "He would kill me if he found out!"

"Then tell me what all the yelling was about."

"Are you threatening me?" Eren hissed with a furious expression on his face.

"Would it make you talk?" Levi asked, locking eyes with Eren.

"Just leave me alone! It's bad enough that Monsieur Erwin is ordering me around, I don't need you to do it as well!" Eren yelled and pushed Levi away. He turned around, letting his legs hang over the edge of the railing. Levi looked as his back and his tail, waving annoyed, before approaching the boy again.

"I'm not really ordering you around, am I?" he said lowly against Eren's ear. Eren ignored him. "I think I'm giving you gentle pushes towards saying what you really want to say."

Eren's cat-ear twitched and his tail stopped moving for a moment. Levi couldn't see his face, but judging from his honest reflexes as a cat, he had hit the nail on the head. Eren was obviously thinking about what to say next, trying to figure out if Levi was right.

"But if you really want me to leave, then I'll just leave," Levi continued, and turned around to leave.

"W-wait," Eren said, and Levi smirked before facing him again. Eren turned around on the railing again and grabbed his tail, nuzzling it absent-mindedly while looking down at his feet. "It really was nothing. Monsieur Erwin was just scolding me for my performance."

"Why?" Levi asked and moved closer to Eren again. He didn't understand what there was to scold Eren about; from what Levi had seen, he had earned plenty of money during his act.

"He just didn't like the way I..." Eren trailed off, blushing a bit, "He said I was getting too close to the audience."

Levi lifted his eyebrow at the boy, not understanding a single word he said.

"To the audience?" he asked, "You... what?"

"...to you," Eren corrected himself, his voice barely audible. He was still looking at his feet, pulling at the fur on his tail. "He told me not to flirt with his painter."

Levi didn't answer him, and Eren kept looking down. The painter tried to understand what he was talking about without having to question him further. _'Flirt with his painter'_ - had Erwin seen Eren lock eyes with Levi during the show? That couldn't be it, it was Eren's job to make the guests pay, so why would that be a problem? Unless...

"He was mad at you for saying you love me?" Levi asked as he realized that it was exactly what Eren had said; _'I love you, let's go'._

"Sang!" Eren corrected him and looked up at him with pinkish cheeks, "I _sang_ - I didn't say I love you!"

"But that was what Mister Erwin was mad about?"

"Yes."

Levi studied Eren as he looked away again, still fiddling with his tail, as his cheeks turned all shades of red. It was hard to believe that it was the exact same boy who had seduced him on stage only an hour earlier, but he was adorable nonetheless.

"Well, do you?" Levi asked lowly, placing his hands on each side of Eren again.

"P-pardon me?" Eren said and looked at Levi with wide eyes.

"Do you love me?" the painter asked again, locking eyes with the boy. His face remained expressionless but his mind was working on full force. For some reason, he really wanted Eren to answer his question. Maybe it was just the alcohol talking, but he couldn't deny having some sort of feelings towards Eren, and he had to know if Eren felt the same way, or if his performance really just was for show.

"It was just a song, Monsie- I mean, Levi," Eren said with a sheepish smile, stumbling over his words.

"That is not what I asked," Levi stated, throwing caution to the wind and refusing to let go of Eren's eyes. They widened a bit before Eren regained control over his body again.

"I'm a prostitute, Levi," he said and forced his face to seem cold, "I'm not allowed to fall in love."

"That is still not what I asked," Levi insisted, leaning in a bit closer, trapping Eren between his arms and the railing. Eren swallowed hard, obviously uncomfortable, and tried to breathe deeply to calm himself down. His mouth opened and closed a few times, trying to find the right words.

"I-I..." he whispered, looking from Levi's calm steel-grey eyes to his lips, and back up again. That was all Levi needed to hear, and he leaned in closer, capturing Eren's lips with his own. Eren sighed through his nose at the gentle touch, and let go of his tail. He wrapped it round Levi's arm, trying to pull him a bit closer, and Levi caught the hint. He moved in between Eren's slightly parted legs and wrapped his arms around the boy's sleek body.

Levi noticed how different this was from the kiss he received back when he visited Eren the first time. He seemed a bit nervous, and his lips moved gently and trying, not really sure what to do. Eren parted his lips to let out a pleased sigh, and Levi let his tongue brush over his lower lip. Eren slowly wrapped his arms around the painter's neck, and let his tongue enter his mouth.

Levi leaned in closer, forcing Eren to wrap his arms tighter around his body to keep himself from falling back over the railing, and Levi took the opportunity to deepen the kiss further. He let Eren cling onto him, while letting his hand brush through Eren's brown locks, earning him a pleased sound from Eren's throat. Eren let his tongue push back against Levi's, making the two wet muscles move gently against each other, somewhere between their mouths.

Caught up in the moment and clouded with alcohol, Levi grabbed Eren's ass, realizing how much he had wanted to do exactly that for a very long time now, and pulled him closer to the edge of the railing, making his own crotch grind against Eren's. Eren grabbed onto Levi's black locks as his entire body twitched from the arousing contact.

Levi nibbled at Eren's lower lip, enjoying the sweet taste of him. He broke the kiss so trail gentle kissed down Eren's law-line and neck, taking deep breaths through his nose to enjoy the sent of him, tasting his soft skin, feeling his soft hair and fur with the tips of his fingers, and listening to the small pleased sounds escaping Eren's lips. The painter let his hands wander down the boy's sides, and thighs. Eren kept clinging to him to keep himself from falling from the balcony, but as Levi's lips reached the spot between his neck and shoulder, where he bit down gently, Eren pulled him back by the hair to smash his lips against the older man's lips again. He wrapped his legs around Levi and pulled him closer, making their half-erections grind against each other again. Levi bit Eren's lip to muffle a hiss, making Eren part his own lips and let a hoarse moan out in the dark night.

"Je t'aime, Levi," Eren whispered before letting their lips meet again, and Levi let out a muffled sound as an answer. He wrapped his arm tighter around Eren and let his other hand wander to his thigh once again. He pulled down the stocking to feel Eren's soft skin against his fingertips, and let them ghost all over the sensitive skin. Eren let out a frustrated sound and tightened the grip with his legs, making them grind against each other again. Levi took a firm grip on Eren's thigh and let the palm of his hand rub the outside of his thigh. He slowly let it wander further up, letting his fingers slide under the edge of the ruffle-panties.

The door to the room behind them slammed up, followed by a loud voice; "Levi!"

"Shit," Levi hissed and pulled back, making Eren jump to his feet as well, before he let go of the painter, just in time for Hanji to appear on the balcony. Levi was pulled back to reality, and his mind began working somehow normally again, after being completely numb during his intimate interaction with Eren.

"What the hell are you doing here?" Levi hissed and began straightening his clothes.

"I was waiting for you at the bar, but you didn't return so I..." Hanji trailed off, looking at Levi trying to straighten his clothes, and Eren who was blushing and trying to nonchalantly hide his crotch behind his hands, while one of his stockings were hanging loosely around his knee. She smirked and tried to suppress a laugh. "Am I interrupting something?"

"Of course not!" Levi hissed and sent her a furious glance, running his hands through his hair, "We were just disguising when I am going to paint Eren again. Right, Eren?"

"O-oui!" Eren stuttered as Levi looked at him, signalling for him to help him out, "Monsieur Levi only came to pick up his things, a-and... And I like his paintings so much, so I insisted on making a new appointment for him to continue his work."

"Is that so?" Hanji smirked and looked from a blushing Eren to a frustrated Levi, who kept straightening his clothes and his hair.

"Oui, I'm sorry for keeping him here, Monsieur Darcy," Eren said and approached Hanji, lightly touching her shoulder and smiling sweetly at her, "I hope you didn't feel lonely back there."

"Oh, you're so cute, Eren," Hanji beamed and patted his head, "don't think about it." She turned to Levi again, who had been watching Eren's smooth way of dealing with Hanji, and now shot his glare back to Hanji. "Are you coming or are you suddenly feeling _'inspired'_ to paint Eren?" she teased, winking at her friend.

"No, I'm coming. As I said, I was just going to get my things," Levi huffed and went inside, followed by Hanji and Eren.

"I'll just wait outside," Hanji said lowly to Eren and winked at him as well, and he sent her a happy smile. She went outside, leaving the door slightly ajar, and they could hear her talking to Gunther on the other side of the door.

"I'm sorry" Levi whispered as Eren walked over to him, while he gathered his paintbrushes and watercolours.

"It's okay" Eren said lowly, blushing a bit by the gentle tone in Levi's voice.

"I'll come back soon," Levi whispered and pulled Eren closer by the wrist, placing a soft kiss on his lips.

Eren's cheeks turned completely red by the soft kiss, as Levi left for the door before Hanji came back to tease him again. Eren looked after him as he disappeared through the door, leaving him alone in the dark room. He could hear Levi yell at Hanji to stop bothering the guard and their voices slowly disappeared as they went down the hallway. Eren looked down at the table next to him, where Levi's painting-equipment had beed spread out over the surface. It was empty now, aside from one hundred francs, lying neatly in the middle of the table. Eren sighed and gathered the money, before hiding them in his panties. He reached back and loosened his corset. Finally able to breath normally, he threw it on the floor before sitting down on the edge of the bed and looking out on the moon through the window.

"It took you quite some to gather your things" Hanji stated with a smug tone, as they walked down the stairs towards the exit.

"We were discussing when I'm going to paint him again, just like Eren said," Levi huffed annoyed, not in the mood for Hanji's teasing.

"Yeah, you keep saying that," she said, "But somehow, I find it hard to believe you."

"Is that so?" Levi said coldly, ignoring the mocking tone in her voice.

"It looked more like you were actually getting what you're paying for."

"I'm paying him to let me paint him," Levi said coldly, trying to hide the fact that she was right.

"Really? Then why are your lips swollen?" Hanji asked, patting her friend on the shoulder, trying to make him just give up and admit what they were doing. Levi responded without thinking, moving his hand up to touch his lips, and Hanji sent him a wide smile at his reaction.

"Just shut up," Levi hissed, realizing he had walked right into her trap. He refused to answer any more questions that night, and went right to the bedroom as soon as they reached Hanji's apartment, slamming the door, and not letting her in for a change of clothes.

* * *

A/N: Thank you for reading! I had been looking forward to writing this chapter since I made the storyline, but then I got hit by writers block and it just fucked up everything. But I made it through!

The song, Eren sings is _The Lovecats by The Cure, _and it took me forever to write down his little dance. Dancemoves is very hard to describe, but I hope it works. The last two chapters have been kinda short, so I tried to make up for that, and ended up on 12½ pages - I hope it's not too long.

Anyway, no more excuses! This chapter has been beta'd by my new beta-reader, Tabootasaur, and this chapter got a lot better than it was to begin with, thanks to her. I hope you enjoyed it, and reviews are as always appreciated.


	7. Bathroom Affairs

Levi woke up in the early morning after only a few hours of sleep. He was covered in sweat and had a horrible hangover. He opened his eyes barely enough to see that the sun had just started to set behind the thin curtains, but before he could decide what time it was, the stench of his own hangover-sweat caught his nose. He really just wanted to hide under the blankets and sleep for a couple more hours, but the smell was too much for him to bare. He felt dirty and wanted to take a shower and change the sheets. He could decide afterwards if he should go back to sleep or not.

He knew he had some thinking to do; the memories from last night threatened to resurrect from the back of his mind, but he managed to keep them away for now. He refused to think it through before getting in the shower.

Hanji was still asleep on the couch when he went through the living-room, heading for the bathroom, after changing the sheets. She was snoring loudly, drool running down her chin and she was lying in - what looked like - a very uncomfortable position with one leg over the back of the couch, hugging a bottle of rum. Levi didn't care to try to be silent; he knew she was a heavy sleeper.

As he entered the bathroom, Levi turned on the shower, hoping for the water to heat up while he undressed. He placed his sweaty shirt neatly on a hook in the corner of the room, still doing his part to keep the place clean even though Hanji had done nothing to help on the matter. She threw her dirty clothes on the floor, right when and where she undressed, and he had been the only one to do the dishes ever since they arrived in Paris.

Levi removed a pair of her dirty socks from the sink with a disgusted frown, and studied his reflection in the mirror while slowly taking off his underwear. He had gotten used to the dark circles under his eyes by now, and he really hoped they would disappear as soon as he had planned out his work and could sleep normally at night. As he studied his tired and hungover face in the mirror, he noticed his slightly swollen lower lip. He couldn't even remember if Eren had bitten it last night while they made out on the balcony. Right - Eren...

Levi rubbed his sore eyes and turned his back to the mirror. He couldn't keep Eren out of his head any more, and let his thoughts wander as he stepped into the shower, letting the chilly water splash over his sweaty body.

He couldn't deny his desire for the boy. He had gotten a taste of his lips, skin and touch now, and he wanted more. From the core of his very being, he felt the urge to touch him and taste him. Whether it was more than sexual attraction, he was a bit unsure. He obviously cared about Eren, but he had been pretty drunk last night, and all he really could remember was Eren's soft lips pressed against his own, the warmth of his mouth and the gentle dance between their tongues.

Levi washed his face, hoping to erase the thoughts of the kiss as well as the thick layer of hangover-sweat. The dirty feeling slowly disappeared as he thoroughly washed his body, but his mind remained locked on Eren.

He had tried to keep his distance to Eren right from the start, but hadn't really succeeded on the matter, since he had been drawn to him over and over again. And now he found himself in this sticky situation, where Eren apparently had feelings for himand Levi himself was confused about how he felt. It had been a long time since he had had any kind of romantic relationship; beauty was his only true love, after all.

Levi huffed out a single bitter laugh. Eren wasn't old enough to understand what love was. It was probably just hormones and confusion. But then again, Eren wasn't just any young brat; despite his young age, he seemed older. His sweetness and his way of talking to Levi wasn't of someone who tried to seem older than he was - it was simply of someone who had seen more than most people his age, and had matured early because of it.

But then again, it could all just be an act. Eren had said so himself; _'I'm a prostitute - I'm not allowed to fall in love'. _Maybe Eren treated all his clients the way he treated Levi; maybe he was trying to hypnotize Levi into becoming one of his regular clients. Maybe he even acted on Erwin's orders.

Levi hissed annoyed and knocked his hand against the shower-wall, making a hollow noise ring though the bathroom. If Erwin thought he could fool him and get his money back like that - no, that wasn't really the issue. The real issue was the possibility of Eren lying to fool him and provoke feelings in Levi that he would take advantage of. As bitter as Levi suddenly felt by the thought, he really had to admit now, that he did have feelings for Eren.

Levi washed his hair a bit more roughly that intended, thinking about what to do next. He refused to let a poor sixteen-year-old hooker take advantage of him. Then it hit him; he could make Eren do exactly as he pleased as soon as he hinted that he would tell Erwin that he knew about his secret. It _could_ be a part of Erwin's plan to make Eren act like it bothered him, but the boy had really seemed angry and nervous every time Levi had mentioned it. It would be hard to fake that deep felt anger showing in the boys eyes every time Levi had used it against him. And as sweet and flirty as Eren often was, Levi had seen that other side of him too; the strong fighter spirit. A treat that showed Levi that Eren wasn't just a prostitute, who had settled with his life at the dance club and willing to spend his life on making men believe what they paid him to believe. There was more to Eren than met the eye.

Levi wasn't sure if he was just lying to himself now to save his pride or if his tired head just made things up now, but why would Eren tell him that he loved him if he didn't mean it? Levi had already spent a lot of money on Eren, paying for his services without even wanting to take advantage of it. It shouldn't really be necessary for him to come up with such a lie to keep Levi where he wanted him. He wanted to paint him no matter what.

Levi sighed and rubbed his sore face. His mind was a mess, pulling back and forth, and making him even more confused than he already was. He cursed himself for not being able to look through the whole situation.

He really had a soft spot for Eren, and a little voice in the back of his mind kept wishing for Eren's feelings to be genuine. The painter was too tired to make up his mind about the boy, and even though he really wanted to think things through, he had trouble staying focused. The memories from the previous night kept on rummaging through his head, reminding him of panting breaths and sweet kisses. He tried to remember their conversations and how Eren affected him, but the desire kept on taking over his hungover mind. The flirty look in Eren's eyes as he danced on the stage, rubbing his ass against the seat of the chair, touching himself...

The way his ass looked in those ruffle-panties and his long legs covered in white stockings so tight that they revealed every line of his muscles and how they danced under the thin fabric. The way he had wrapped those long, slender legs around Levi while sitting on the railing on the balcony, digging his fingers through his hair and letting Levi invade his mouth.

Levi leaned his arms against the shower-wall, letting the - now a bit warmer - water run down his back. The water was still cold, but not cold enough to cool down the heat spreading through his body, as he thought about what Eren had done to him last night. The heat ran through every single part of him; over his chest, clouding his mind, and then down his spine to pool in his lower stomach. He sighed deeply, noticing his breath had gotten a bit heavier, and rubbed his face before opening his eyes again, and looking down at his lower body. He sure as hell felt desire for Eren, there was no doubt about that!

Levi surrendered to his desires and let his hand wander down his chest, over his abdomen and to his half-hard dick. As he lightly wrapped his fingers around it, he remembered rubbing his clothed hard-on against Eren's the night before. The thought of it and Eren's muffled sounds, made his erection twitch in his hand and he began to lazily stroke it. As he got more and more aroused, the hungover feeling slowly disappeared and the image of Eren danced behind his eyelids. He was smiling flirtatious, fluttering his dark lashes and sticking out his butt, as he straddled the chair in Levi's mind.

Levi gasped and leaned his head against the wall, picking up his pace. Grabbing Eren's ass, feeling the soft skin of his thighs against his fingertips and then the palm of his hand as he touched him more firmly, hungry for more - he remembered it clearly and he had to bite his lip to muffle another gasp.

He threw his head back, wiping his wet bangs backwards and let the chilly water hit his face. He thought about Eren's lips against his own, biting down and feeling the boy's lower lip between his teeth and the sound it had provoked. The urge to bite down harder and take that part of Eren with him to keep for himself. His dick twitched in his hand and he could feel the heat pool up in his lower stomach. There was really no reason holding back, and even though he was still tired and wanted to get back to bed as soon as possible, he couldn't stop now.

Levi let his hand move faster along his erection, as he thought about licking and kissing Eren's jawline and neck, feeling his pulse through the soft skin and biting down on the spot between Eren's neck and shoulder. The taste of the sweet skin between his teeth and Eren's muffled moans against his ear, as he pulled him back up by the hair. Levi let his head fall forwards again, and grabbed the hair at the back of his head with his free hand, trying to remember exactly how it felt when Eren pulled his head back up to his own and smashed their lips against each other like he had missed Levi's mouth while it had explored way too little of the boy's body.

He pulled a bit harder at his wet locks, frustratedly growling at the lack of similarity to what Eren had done to him. He pulled harder again but it made no difference, and he settled on just focusing on treating his hard-on. His breathing had become heavier and he could feel the end closing in. Levi bit his lower lip again, increasing the speed of his stroking and let the image of Eren lying on the floor of the stage take over his mind. Eren touching his thighs and letting his hands wander over his torso, lifting his ass off of the floor, letting his long tail caress the skin on his inner thighs. Moaning sounds and pleased whimpers. His claws against Levi's thighs, digging through the fabric of his pants. Fingers pulling eagerly at his hair, hungry lips against his own. Long legs wrapped around his waist and his crotch grinding against Eren's.

"Hnn - shit," Levi hissed and bit his tongue as his entire body tensed up and he threw himself over the edge with one last, hard stroke. He let a sharp breath escape his lips as the waves pulsed through his body and he released, his seed splattering down at the shower-floor and the chilly water washing it away. He sighed and enjoyed the numbness and his empty mind for a moment, as his body slowly returned to normal. He was even more tired after his escapades, and just wanted to go back to sleep, but he felt much dirtier now, than before he got into the shower.

After washing himself all over again, trying to gather his thoughts about Eren, Levi had to give up and got out of the shower. After lightly drying his body, he walked back through the living-room, where Hanji was still asleep, only wearing a towel around his waist, and still not caring whether he woke up his friend or not.

He slammed the bedroom-door behind him and dug through his clothes to find a piece of clean underwear, for once not really caring if he made a mess in the drawer. He would have to take care of it later, he was too tired to deal with anything now. He pulled on the fresh pair of underwear, before falling back onto the bed, drifting into a very light half-conscious sleep. His dreams were confusing and incoherent, mostly about a mix of gentle touches, deep purrs and sweetly whispered words of _'Je t'aime'_.

Levi tossed and turned under the sheets, wanting those weird dreams to either turn into real dreams or to disappear completely. He woke up by a low sound, coming from the window, and he jerked up, confused and disoriented. He blinked a few times, trying to figure out if he was awake or asleep, and looked towards the window, trying to figure out what had caused the sound. Behind the thin curtains, lightly waving in the wind from the open window, he could see the shadow of a small creature with pointy ears and a long tail, frozen to the spot.

"Eren?" Levi asked with a hoarse voice, rubbing his eyes to make sure he was completely awake.

By the sound of the painter's voice, the cat jumped from the windowsill to the drawer under the window. Eren didn't spare Levi a single look, as he moved over the surface of the drawer with quick steps. He landed on the chair next to the drawer, where Levi had hung his jacket the previous night, and green feline-eyes locked with grey orbs for a moment, before the cat placed a piece of folded paper on the seat of the chair. He then jumped back up at the drawer, heading for the open window with fast steps.

"Eren! Wait!" Levi yelled and jumped up from the bed, throwing himself towards the cat, and barely managing to catch him by the tail as he jumped from the window. Eren let out a painful and loud sound, and Levi grabbed his belly to support his weight as he pulled him back in through the window. Eren kept moving, trying to escape Levi's firm grip on him uttering loud cries and unsatisfied meows. Levi lifted his eyebrow at Eren's struggle, and sat down on the floor in front of the drawer, holding onto the cat with both hands under his front-legs, making it impossible for him to squirm out of his grip. Eren let out one desperate and frustrated meow after another, while Levi just held him out in front of him, waiting for Eren to stop acting out.

"Are you done now?" Levi asked with an unimpressed expression on his face, as Eren finally stopped moving. Eren hissedin response and looked down at his back legs, dangling over the floor. "Why are you here? What is that?" the painter asked, after looking at the folded paper on the seat next to him, realizing it was banknotes; what looked like 100 francs.

Eren kept his eyes down, refusing to look at Levi.

"Are you going to turn back into a human so that we can have a civilized conversation, or should I just keep you here like this until Mister Erwin notices that you are gone?" Levi then asked, raising an eyebrow at Eren. He knew it wasn't fair to keep on using the secret against the boy, but Levi wanted to make sure he wasn't being pulled around. He didn't really need an answer though, as Eren sent him an annoyed look, obviously regretting ever telling Levi about his secret. He huffed and let himself turn back to a human, landing butt-naked on Levi's lap.

Suddenly remembering what he had done in the shower, a very short time ago, Levi had to clear his throat to distract himself, as the very object of his desire was sitting naked on top of him completely within his reach. It was tempting to take advantage of the situation and let his hands wander all over the boy's young body, but Levi was a grown man and he refused to let his desires control him.

Eren couldn't care less about his exposed body, and the embarrassment showing on his face had nothing to do with the position he had placed himself in. He looked to the side, with a dissatisfied expression, blushing a bit over being caught like that.

Levi suddenly noticed that he still had his hands wrapped tightly around Eren's chest, and removed them as he decided that Eren probably wouldn't try to escape right away, and he placed his hands on the floor behind him, leaning back a bit. He still tried very hard not to think too much about Eren's naked ass on his lap, and he was suddenly glad that he had taken care of himself earlier and could keep himself under control now. His eyes threatened to wander over Eren's body, but he kept them firmly locked on the brunette's blushing face.

"Well?" he asked, wanting to get Eren to talk and distract himself with the conversation.

"I wanted to return the money," Eren said lowly and let his tail pop back out, to have something to fiddle with. He let it swing over his hip and began pulling at the fur absent-mindedly, still not looking at Levi.

"Why?" Levi asked, trying to ignore the ticklish feeling of Eren's tail brushing over his thighs.

"Y-you shouldn't pay me for an entire night," Eren mumbled and pulled at his tail, obviously wanting to get away as soon as possible, "You're wasting your money."

"Shouldn't you just be happy to get paid for doing nothing?" Levi huffed. It sounded a lot colder than intended, but even _if _Levi actually had feelings for the younger male, he wouldn't be able to show it that easily.

"No, I don't want you to treat me like a hooker!" Eren raised his voice a bit and sent Levi a stubborn look, finally looking at him. He sounded a bit desperate now, and he took a deep breath before continuing; "I... don't want you to see me like that. I worked half the night to be able to pay you back without losing money, and... you're the one who should be happy that you don't have to pay me for anything! I don't want your pity, I'm not just some prostitute!"

Levi sighed and leaned forward a bit, wrapping his arms around Eren's body and pulling him closer. He was just too cute.

"I don't," he hummed and locked eyes with the boy, "I'm not looking down on you."

If he had had any doubt about his feelings for Eren, they were completely washed away by now. Seeing him in front of him like this, looking at him with wide, shiny, green eyes, and feeling the scent of his naked skin, made Levi's heart beat a bit faster and he realized that his desire for Eren was nothing compared to the affection he felt towards the boy. Eren had a flustered expression in his eyes, trying to read the older man's mind as his cheeks turned pink. Levi could sense that this wasn't what Eren had expected him to do, but it didn't seem like it bothered him the slightest. It was obvious to the painter, that Eren's feelings for him was indeed genuine; the expression on his face was not something one could fake, and Eren wanted Levi to see him as an equal, and not just a service to pay for.

"Do you care for me?" Levi asked in a calm tone. Eren's behaviour had already provided him with the answer he was seeking, but he wanted to hear Eren say the words out loud.

Eren looked away again, trying to hide his blushing cheeks behind his brown bangs. He kept fiddling with his tail, a bit more roughly now.

"Eren," Levi said, trying to gently force the boy to look at him by pulling him a bit closer. His grey eyes met a shining green orb, half-hidden behind soft hair, and the painter rephrased the question; "Do you love me?"

"Mhm," Eren mumbled and looked down, his cheeks turning even redder.

"Then let me help you," Levi whispered and pulled Eren in, closing the gap between them. Eren melted in his arms as Levi kissed him gently, and the boy let out a deep sigh. Levi felt his entire body react to the sweet caress of Eren's lips as they moved nervously against his own, letting Levi dominate the innocent kiss completely. The kisses they exchanged now, wasn't as hungry and possessive as last night, and it became obvious to Levi, that Eren was insecure about if Levi still wanted if after getting sober. Levi deepened the kiss, trying to show Eren that he had nothing to be nervous about, and it seemed like he got the message across; Eren slowly let his hands wander to Levi's sides and wrapped his arms lightly around the painter's back. Subconsciously, his tail wrapped itself around Levi's upper arm.

As their lips moved slowly against each other, the sound of Eren's voice filled Levi's head; _'I worked half the night to be able to pay you back without losing money.'_ He didn't want Eren to work like this any more. He wrapped his arms tighter around Eren, wanting to protect him from the world and stop him from selling his body for a living. Those lips were for him to enjoy, and him alone; that was all he could think about.

"I should get back," Eren mumbled after breaking the kiss. He made no move to actually get going.

"How did you even find me?" Levi inquired, not ready to let Eren go yet.

"I went up on the roof last night after you and Monsieur Darcy went home. I found out which area you live in, but it took some time to figure out the right apartment," Eren answered, with a sheepish smile. Then his face turned serious again. "I really don't think you should waste your money on me, Levi," he then added, still feeling a bit uneasy about Levi's generosity.

"I am not wasting my money on you," Levi stated coldly, but offered Eren a kind smile as he noticed the embarrassment in Eren's eyes. "Look... Just take the money, okay? I think you need a night off from time to time, and as long as you make money, I don't think Mister Erwin cares about what you do."

Eren sighed in defeat and grabbed the money from the chair. He really hated that money were such a big issue, but Levi was right. The painter smiled at him and stroked his cheek gently.

"Just let me take care of you, okay?" he said, not really caring to let Eren answer, because he was going to do it, whether Eren would let him or not.

Eren offered him a sad smile, and began pulling at his tail again. He didn't answer, but leaned in and kissed Levi again, still insecure about if it was okay for him to do so. Levi cupped his face and returned the kiss, making Eren's tail wiggle happily.

"I should get back," Eren repeated, and looked out the window to determine what time it was. He had to get back before anyone noticed he was gone.

"I'll come by tonight," Levi said, and looked at Eren as he got on his feet.

"I'm looking forward to it," Eren said with a smile, and jumped onto the drawer, while transforming back into a cat. Levi got on his feet as well, and grabbed the cat lightly by the skin of his neck, before he jumped back out the way he came.

"Don't forget this," Levi said and took the money from the surface of the drawer and held it out in front of Eren. Eren purred lowly and took the money between his teeth, and Levi let him go after stroking his back a few times. Eren nuzzled his head against Levi's hand before jumping from the drawer to the windowsill, and out of the window.

Levi sighed and dug his hand through his hair, noticing how bloody tired he still was. He went back to bed, but before he could settle between the sheets, the door to the bedroom was kicked open and Hanji appeared.

"Good morning," she sang, still holding onto the bottle of rum she had slept with.

"What do you want?" Levi hissed, getting very annoyed that he would never be able to get a proper amount of sleep.

"I heard you moving around in here, so I thought it was time for us to get some breakfast and be productive," she said and walked into the room to find a change of clothes.

"You have got to be kidding me," Levi mumbled and sat up again, hiding his face in his hands, "Hanji, I'm so bloody tired and if you don't get out right now and let me sleep, I swear to God, I will skin you alive and make a summer-hat out of your ass."

She stopped in the middle of changing her shirt, looking down at his unfriendly expression.

"Aren't we grumpy this morning," she stated, pulling the shirt over her head before tying her hair in a ponytail. Levi didn't respond, and threw himself back on the bed, pulling the blanket over his head.

"Fine, I'll wake you up in a few hours then," she said and grabbed a pair of pants and left the room again, after leaving the half-empty bottle on the night-stand. Before closing the door behind her, she noticed Levi's arm appearing from under the blanket, grabbing the bottle and pulling it back under the sheets.

Levi didn't really care for the cheap rum Hanji always kept with her, but right now it was enough to help him fall back to sleep. He slept peacefully for another few hours without having any disturbing dreams. He woke up later, feeling a bit more rested, and decided it was finally time to get up. He could hear voices through the door, and thought it wisely to get dressed before leaving the bedroom.

He took a sip of the rum, and grimaced by the poor taste. After pulling on a clean shirt and pants, he opened the door to the living-room and found Hanji casually leaning against the wall, talking to some bald man with a moustache.

"...and then they made me their chief," Hanji said to the man, before both of them noticed Levi. "Oh, this is the painter I told you about," she then said to the man, signalling for her friend to come closer.

"Levi," the painter presented himself and offered his hand.

"Pixis Dot," the man said and shook hands with Levi, "I saw your painting over there," he pointed at the painting of the rooftops, still hanging on the easel by the window, "I'm very interested if you're selling."

"That depends on how much you are willing to pay," Levi answered, looking the man up and down. He was dressed neatly, in what looked like very expensive clothes. Levi should be able to get a good prize, if the man was really interested. "I could easily sell it for a couple hundred francs back in London."

"But you're not in London right now," Pixis Dot said with a smirk, as all three of them moved closer to the painting.

"Actually -" Hanji butted in, placing her arm around her friend's shoulder and smiling widely at Pixis Dot, "- Levi already has a buyer." She kicked Levi's ankle before he could manage to ask her what she was talking about. "He's very famous back in London - you're such a fine gentleman yourself, Monsieur Dot, you must have heard of him."

The older man sent her an unimpressed look as she tried to flatter him. Levi lifted his eyebrows in annoyance but he didn't want to start an argument in front of a potential buyer.

After realizing that Pixis Dot knew her a little too well to fall for her flattering, Hanji cleared her throat and straightened her back. "Anyway, he's already got a buyer. A very generous buyer," she lied and winked at Levi, trying to convince him that she had everything under control. Levi wasn't really a fan of lying to his costumers; he believed in himself and his own talent, and his paintings were good enough to sell themselves without him lying.

"Is that so?" Pixis Dot asked in a flat tone. He caught Levi frowning at Hanji, as she winked at the painter, trying to get him to play along. The bald man's eyes met with Hanji's, and he sent her a suspicious look.

"Come on now, have I ever lied to you?" Hanji said and smiled at the man, trying to cover up her attempt to cheat him.

"Nothing I can prove, but you're not exactly a very honest woman, are you Mademoiselle Hanji?" he asked and lifted an eyebrow at her, hinting that he knew what she was up to.

"Me? I'm dishonest, and a dishonest woman you can always trust to be dishonest. Honestly, it's the honest ones you want to watch out for, because you can never predict when they're going to do something incredibly _stupid_," Hanji smirked and sent Levi a knowing look by the last word, before returning her glance to Pixis Dot. He laughed at her statement, and Levi sighed, getting really tired of Hanji's meddling in his sale.

"Anyway, Monsieur Dot," Levi huffed, and the bald man turned his attention towards the painter again, "I do believe a couple hundred francs isn't too much to ask for. You should notice the harmonic colours and the sharp edges in the design. And it is a very special piece; it's the first painting I've ever made of Paris. I've only painted London so far and the fact that this is the first piece from France, will make it triple it's worth within a few years."

"You are very sure about yourself," Pixis Dot noted and studied the painting thoroughly.

"Of course. I am the best," Levi smirked and sent Hanji a death-glare as she was about to open her mouth again. She signalled for him that she was just trying to help him, but he waved her off with an annoyed expression.

"Very well, Monsieur Levi," the man said, "How about 300 francs?"

'Take it, take it', Hanji mimed behind the man's back, waving her arms to get Levi's attention.

"I - eh - wait," Levi said, getting distracted by Hanji's movements behind Pixis Dot, "Yeah okay, fine." He shook hands with the bald man again, reminding himself to kick Hanji's ass as soon as he left. He knew he could have gotten a better prize, but he had just woken up and was still too tired to do business and deal with her at the same time.

Pixis Dot handed him 300 francs and Levi counted the money and hid them in his back-pocket.

"It was a pleasure to do business with you, Monsieur Levi," Pixis Dot smiled and grabbed the canvas by the edge, "Now, Mademoiselle Hanji, I do believe we have business to do as well."

"I believe you're right," Hanji said and smiled widely. She pulled out a piece of paper from her pocket and handed it over to the bald man, who looked it over and hid it in the inner-pocket of his jacket, "Mike and Moblit should be down there in an hour or so. Just show them my note, they know you're dropping by."

"Very well," Pixis Dot said and handed over an envelope to Hanji, "It should all be there. If the quality doesn't live up to my expectations, I'll come back."

"Everything is exactly as usual, I can assure you that," Hanji said while looking through the envelope with eager eyes. She seemed satisfied with the content and shook hands with the man before leading him to the door. "It was a pleasure doing business with you, as always, Monsieur Dot."

"Likewise," he said, before looking back at Levi, "And you too, Monsieur Levi."

Levi nodded and went to the kitchen to make himself a cup of tea while Hanji said goodbye to the older man.

"I believe you owe me a drink," Hanji stated as she entered the kitchen after letting Pixis Dot out.

"I believe you owe me several hundred francs!" Levi snapped, his British accent getting more noticeable as he let his anger show. He turned to face her with the kettle in his hand, "What were you doing back there? I could have pushed the prize to 500 francs without trouble."

"No, you couldn't," Hanji said and crossed her arms under her chest, leaning against the door-frame, "I've been doing business with him for ages, and he's a tough nut to crack. Unless you know how to handle him, you should just settle on his first offer. If you had tried to get the prize up, he would have refused to pay more that 200 for the painting."

"You're underestimating me," Levi huffed and placed the kettle on the stove.

"No, _you're_ underestimating _me_," Hanji smirked, "I know my customers."

"What kind of business are you doing with him anyway?" Levi asked and turned towards her again, while waiting for the water to boil.

"Oh, nothing you need to worry about," she beamed and went back into the living-room, "Make a cup for me as well!"

Levi promised himself to get it out of her somehow, but he would let it go for now. It was better to attack when she was unprepared and would accidentally spill the beans.

He pulled out the money from his back-pocket again, and looked at them while thinking. He wanted to take care of Eren and this was almost enough to pay for four nights. If he could finish off a poster within those four days, he would earn another 375 francs, which would almost be enough to pay for another five nights. Erwin had offered him some kind of discount; this was probably the time to use that. He would have to plan out his work properly to make sure he could keep Eren from spending his nights with other men. Of course he would have to come up with something else soon, 'cause he wasn't going to spend the rest of his life in Paris, working to buy a hookers freedom every night, but this would have to do for now.

As Levi made the tea, he realized that even though he wanted to help Eren, the reason he wanted to take care of him, wasn't just to save Eren; it was more likely because he didn't want anyone else to touch him. He wanted to monopolize him. And he was ready to do whatever it would take, to make that happen.

* * *

A/N: Thank you for reading and a big shout out to Taboo and Baiko, who has beta'ed this chapter. It's been fucking tough titan tits for me, since it took me a long time to actually be satisfied with it, but now it's done and I hope it was worth it.

If I don't get time to upload another chapter before christmas, then merry christmas to you guys ^^ Review are always appreciated as well as faves and follows. It really warms my heart (and it's needed, cause this bloody country is god damn cold!)


	8. Adore Me

Levi sat on the couch next to Hanji, going through his sketches and notes of Annie and Ymir. The two girls always worked together and Erwin had requested a poster of them together in matching outfits. Levi had studied all the girls' costumes and picked out a pair of very tight dresses, matching the colours Erwin had asked him to use.

After Pixis Dot left earlier that day, Levi had ordered Hanji to move the couch to the middle of the living-room, and he had pulled in the large frame he had bought a couple of days earlier for making the posters. He had placed it against the wall where the couch had been placed, and clamped the thick paper he had bought for the same purpose, to the frame before doing the preparations for his work.

While Levi had spent most of the day working, Hanji had been seated on the couch, looking over some paperwork and watching his progress, while drinking rum. She knew she had to keep her mouth shut if she wanted to watch him work, or else he would kick her out of the apartment. It was hard to keep her curiosity under control, and she took a sip of the rum every time she felt the urge to ask him a question.

After painting for a couple of hours, Levi had gone out to buy a bottle of whiskey. He didn't want to spend a lot of money on alcohol when money was his only way of keeping Eren from sleeping with other men, but he still refused to drink the cheep booze Hanji brought.

When he returned to the apartment, he dumped down next to Hanji on the couch. He grabbed his sketches and spread them out over the coffee-table. He sighed and took a large sip of whiskey, while Hanji leaned in over the table to look at the papers.

"You know, Levi -" she started, about to offer her help.

"No," Levi cut her off without looking up from his papers.

"I just wanted to say -"

"No."

"- that if there's something you're not certain about -"

"No," Levi repeated, and got up from the couch again. He gathered a few sketches and placed them next to the poster along with the whiskey-bottle.

"- then I remember pretty well what the girls look like," Hanji finally finished off and took another sip of the rum.

"That won't be necessary," Levi said in a dull tone, as he touched the poster, checking if the paint had dried yet. He was glad to see how fast it dried up in the summer-heat.

Hanji watched in silence as Levi climbed the stool he had brought in earlier, and he began working again.

"So..." Hanji said, and leaned over the back of the couch, "When are you going to visit Eren again?"

"Why do you ask?" Levi mumbled, focusing most of his attention on his work.

"Oh, I was just curious," Hanji brushed him off, trying to sound like she was only making small-talk. The truth was that she was dying to know more about what was going on between Eren and Levi. She was well-aware what she had interrupted the previous night, and she wanted to know everything. Knowing how Levi tended to get caught up in his work, this was definitely the best time to ask.

"You only took this job to get to paint him, didn't you?" she asked, when Levi didn't answer.

"Mmh... Yes," Levi answered absent-minded as he leaned in to paint the details on Annie's face.

"Does that mean you find him attractive?" Hanji asked nonchalantly and got up from the couch. When Levi didn't answer, she moved up behind him and repeated the question.

"Mhh... Did you say something?" Levi murmured, without taking his eyes off of the painting. He didn't pay attention to Hanji at all. His focus was set on the work in front of him, but his mind was filled with Eren. He longed to hold him in his arms again. Everything about the boy was absolutely gorgeous; his slender frame, his delicate cat-like movements, his long lashes. Those deep green eyes of his. His sweet lips.

Hanji sighed in defeat as she realized she couldn't get Levi to talk. She went to the kitchen to make them a cup of tea and let Levi work. She was determined to find out what was going on, one way or another. Had Levi stepped down from his pedestal and begun sleeping with prostitutes, or was there more to it? Had her cold, British friend evolved feelings for the boy? No, impossible. The only explanation would be that Levi had found another way to 'get inspired'.

As she put the kettle on, she thought about going to visit Eren later that night and ask him what was going on. She had spend quite a few nights with him in the past, and he seemed to trust her. Of course they never did anything but talk, since she couldn't let anyone know that she was in fact a woman, but she liked to look at him, just like she loved to watch the other girls at La Maison des Chats. He was simply too cute with his tail and ears. Hanji had tried to get him to tell her about his secret, but he kept telling her the same thing; _'Monsieur Erwin says that a true magician never reveals his secrets.'_

"I'll get them to talk one way or another," Hanji mumbled to herself, and poured the boiling water from the kettle into the tea-cups. She was pretty sure she had figured it all out, but she preferred to get it confirmed. Nothing beats cold facts, after all.

She went back to the living-room, and placed Levi's cup next to his whiskey-bottle. She looked up at her friend, who seemed like he was lost in his own thoughts. She let her eyes wander over the poster and a smirk appeared on her face.

"You know," she said, and cleared her throat to get Levi's attention, "It looks like you need a break, Levi. You're making mistakes."

"What?" Levi turned to look at her with a mistrustful expression, "What on earth are you talking about?"

"Annie's eyes are blue," Hanji said and looked up at Annie's painted face on the poster.

Levi followed her eyes, and realized that she was right. He had accidentally painted her eyes green. He grabbed a cloth and tried to remove the green paint without ruining the poster, swearing under his breath at his own foolishness.

"Hmm, that colour reminds me of someone," Hanji said in a false thoughtful tone, acting like she tried to remember who those eyes reminded her of. Levi ignored her, and she walked back to the couch. "Oh right," she said in a slightly mocking tone, as she sat down and placed her own tea-cup on the table, "Eren."

* * *

Behind the stage, Eren tried to get a glimpse of the crowd on the other side of the curtain. Christa was performing now, and he was up next. He pulled at the edge of the curtain, wanting to get a proper look at the table where Monsieur Darcy and Levi would normally sit, but it was hard to spot the table without being seen by anyone, even though all eyes were on his blonde colleague.

"He's not there," a feminine voice sounded behind him, and Eren let go of the curtain and turned around.

"Who's not there?" he asked, trying to cover up the fact that he was looking for Levi.

"The painter," Annie said, sending him a knowing look as she cocked her hip. She looked as cold as ever, but an amused smirk was playing on her lips.

"So?" Eren asked and put on a careless face. He wasn't allowed to fall in love, and he had to make sure Annie didn't find out how he felt about Levi. "I couldn't care less if he is here or not."

"Yeah, right," Annie huffed in a mocking tone and rolled her eyes. Ymir and Sasha had moved closer to the two dancers, curious to what they were talking about. Everybody knew that Eren and Annie weren't exactly the best of friends and they often tried to strike a nerve at each other.

"What are you implying?" Eren asked and took a step closer to the blonde.

"It's pretty obvious that you like him," Annie said smugly, and crossed her arms under her chest. Ymir let out a giggle by her friend's statement, since it was something she had noticed as well.

"Aren't you just mad that he always refuses to tip you when you're on stage?" Eren asked and sent her a mocking look.

"I get plenty of tips, _Chasseuse_," Annie said, making sure to pronounce his name in a sarcastic tone. Eren frowned; the name always reminded him that he wasn't here out of his own will. It felt like a chain, forcing him to stay and work as a slave. Annie's smirk grew wider as his expression changed. She knew she could always get to him by using that name. "I couldn't care less about a lousy painter's money."

"He's not lousy!" Eren raised his voice and took another step closer to her. He realized way too late that she had managed to provoke him, and took a step back again, trying to cover up his outburst. "Monsieur Erwin wouldn't have hired him if he was lousy," he said coldly and turned his attention to Christa as she walked up to them, signalling for Eren that he should get ready.

Eren sent Annie one last dirty look, before walking past her and Ymir, getting ready to perform as soon as Erwin had announced that he was up next.

"Does that mean you don't care about him at all?" Annie called to him as he pulled up his corset and straightened his stockings.

"I only care about money," Eren lied without sparing her a look. It actually hurt to talk about Levi like that, but it was necessary; he couldn't let anyone know about them.

"Does that mean that you won't mind if I steal him next time he visits?" Annie smirked and winked at Ymir, who let out another giggle.

Eren bit his lip. He would hate it if Annie actually managed to get Levi to come to her instead of him. She was very popular with her large breasts and heavy blue eyes, and with Ymir next to her, being the complete opposite but just as attractive, they were a big hit at the night-club. If Levi fell for her tricks and - no, he couldn't bear to think that thought to an end. Not now, he had to focus on his performance. He had no right to claim Levi as his own, he was just a dirty prostitute after all. But those gentle kisses and sweet caresses - he would hate to have to share them with anyone.

"Come on, Annie, don't be like that," Sasha butted in, trying to help Eren out.

"Be my guest," Eren said coldly and pulled on a seductive expression, as the curtains were pulled and the music started playing. He had to focus on his performance, but he felt really insecure about Levi and it was hard to push the thoughts away.

He walked down the catwalk, trying not to let his worries shine through. His eyes caught Monsieur Darcy's, who smiled up at him as always, and Eren noticed that Annie was right; Levi wasn't there.

_"I don't have to sell my soul,_  
_he's already in me,_  
_I don't need to sell my soul,_  
_he's already in me,"_ Eren sang, while looking down at Darcy's table again, hoping he had just managed to overlook Levi the first time he looked. He had really hoped he would be there.

The boy tried to pull himself together as he began dancing to the slow beat. He couldn't forget Annie's words and the fact that Levi hadn't come to watch the show even though he had promised he would come by later, caused Eren to get anxious. He had been looking forward to seeing Levi again ever since he left the apartment this morning. Maybe Levi had changed his mind about him.

_"I wanna be adored,_  
_I wanna be adored._"

Those words fit perfectly right now; he couldn't care less about Levi's money, he just wanted to be adored by him. The way Levi looked at him melted his heart and made him feel like he could fly. Most people looked at him like a piece of meat, like he was only worth the money they would spend on him. But Levi looked at him like he was the most precious thing in the world. So why wasn't he there?

* * *

Levi made his way to La Maison des Chats after working on Annie's and Ymir's poster all day. The poster was almost done, and he would be able to hand it over to Erwin the next day if everything went as planned. Even though he had had enough of painting for one day, and just wanted to spend time with Eren, he had brought his pencils and a stack of papers along; Eren had the tendency to inspire him and he could spend hours and hours painting him. Right now, though, he had a great urge to just see and touch him.

Hanji had gone to watch the show a few hours earlier, but Levi had stayed behind to work on the poster. She had tried to talk him into watching the show with her, but he knew that the sooner he could finish it, the sooner he would get paid; he wanted to make sure he had enough money to keep Eren from sleeping with other men. The thought of Eren pulling another man's hair and moaning against their lips kept him motivated and very frustrated, and he had worked himself hard all day to keep that from happening.

The doorman greeted him as he reached the entrance to the nightclub and asked him if he should inform Erwin that he was there. Levi thought about it for a moment, wondering if he should ask Erwin for that discount now, but decided that it could wait. Asking for a discount now would be the same as admitting that he had a soft spot for Eren, and he wasn't ready for that yet. Something in him told him that it would be wise to keep it a secret for now.

Levi told the doorman not to bother Erwin, since he was just there to work and that he would find Erwin himself if needed. The doorman let him inside the building and bowed slightly as Levi went down the hallway, heading for Eren's room. He went past the doors to the dance-hall, and saw that the main-show had ended. There were still a lot of guests left, entertained by a few girls dancing on stage and giving private performances by the tables.

Levi looked for Hanji, but couldn't see her between the many top-hats and black suits similar to the one she wore. A waiter approached him, asking if he wanted his usual table, but Levi brushed him off just like the doorman. He went further down the hallway, and up the stairs to the first floor.

Eren's room was at the back of the building, distant from the other girls' rooms. It was obvious that a fair amount of time had passed since the show had ended; normally when he went to see Eren right after the show, the hallways were empty, but now a few girls were standing out there, chatting to each other and hoping to catch a client for the night. They all greeted Levi as he walked by, most of them knowing who he was by now.

"Are you working tonight, Monsieur Levi?" Annie asked as he walked past her and Ymir, who shared a cigarette between their rooms.

Levi stopped and sent her a bored glare, which was met with the usual cold look from Annie and a curious one from Ymir.

"I fail to see how that is any of your business," Levi huffed and looked the girls up and down with a frown.

Annie smirked and winked at Ymir, not affected by his repellent attitude; "If you're here to seek inspiration," she took a deep drag of the cigarette and passed it on to the brunette, "we would gladly help you out."

Her boldness disgusted Levi, and he narrowed his eyes while the two girls pulled each other closer and smiled seductively at him. Oh, how he wanted to tell them how repulsive he thought they were, and how he wouldn't even touch them with a fire poker.

"A tempting offer," he stated, a slight hint of sarcasm in his voice, "but I do not really see anything inspiring here."

He turned and left before they managed to say more, and headed for the hallway to Eren's room. He turned around the corner, and saw Gunther in his usual spot, sleeping. Levi kicked his chair and the guard woke up with a loud yelp, looking around confused until he laid his eyes on the painter.

"Is he alone?" Levi inquired, and looked down at the guard.

Gunther scratched his neck and pulled a watch out of his pocket. He spent a moment counting his fingers before nodding. He closed his eyes again and leaned his head back against the wall, as Levi turned to open the heavy, wooden door.

The room was darker than usual. The door to the balcony was closed, and the only light in the room was a hint of moonlight, slipping past the curtains by the windows.

"Eren?" Levi called, and closed the door behind him. He squinted his eyes, waiting for them to adjust to the darkness.

"Levi!"

Levi looked in the direction of Eren's voice and saw a shadow moving on the bed behind the curtains hanging over it. Eren wrapped a robe around his body as he jumped from the bed and ran towards the painter. The brunette threw his arms around him and pressed him against the door in a tight embrace. Levi faintly remembered something similar from their first meeting.

"You came," Eren sighed against his neck, as Levi hesitantly wrapped his arms around the boy.

"Of course," he said and pulled Eren back a bit to look at his face. It was hard to make out his features in the darkness. Levi stroked his cheek and offered a kind smile; "I promised you, didn't I?"

Eren let out a giggle by the sweet caress and leaned his head against Levi's palm. Levi sent him an adoring glance, before looking around the room again.

"Why is your room always so bloody dark?" he asked, and moved to pull the curtains from the windows after placing his equipment on the table. The moonlight shone through the windows and made him able to see Eren properly.

"But I see just fine in the dark," Eren answered sweetly and followed Levi around as he illuminated the room.

"Feline-eyes?" Levi asked and stopped to lock eyes with the brunette. His green orbs shone in the moonlight.

"Oui," Eren smiled and moved closer to Levi, wanting to show his affection somehow, but not really sure what to do. He rested his head against the painter's shoulder, inhaled his smell and purred lowly.

Levi wrapped an arm around his waist. Through the silky fabric, he could feel Eren's soft skin. It was obvious that he was completely naked under the thin robe. Levi pulled him closer and placed a soft kiss on his lips. Eren sighed and returned the kiss. He let his hands slide up Levi's chest, grabbing onto his shirt.

"I was afraid you wouldn't come," Eren whispered after breaking the kiss. His lips brushed against Levi's as he spoke, and he pulled gently at Levi's clothes, kissing him more deeply this time. Levi wrapped his arm tighter around Eren's waist and cupped his cheek with his free hand.

"How come?" he asked lowly, breaking the kiss once more, "I told you I would come by later."

Eren let the painter pull him in for another kiss, and parted his lips to let the other brush his tongue over his lower lip.

"But you didn't come to watch the show," he purred and let Levi's tongue inside his mouth, meeting it half-way with his own. He tightened his grip on Levi's shirt and moved closer into the embrace.

Levi broke the kiss to look into Eren's green eyes, as he let his hand run through his soft hair. "I had to work," he whispered, "Besides, I am not really a fan of those shows."

Eren's eyes widened a bit. "You think I'm a bad dancer?" he asked, obviously affected by the statement.

"That's not what I meant," Levi said and stroked his cheek again, "You're a terrific dancer. I just don't care to watch the other girls. I don't mind watching you," he looked down the boy's body, where the robe hang loosely around his slender frame, showing off most of his chest and shoulders, "at all."

Eren smiled seductively, nuzzling Levi's neck and sliding his hands into his dark locks, fingers softly caressing his scalp. Levi breathed in sharply at the sensation. He remembered how he had tried to imitate the feeling of Eren's hands in his hair when he was showering, and the real deal sent chills down his spine.

"Then maybe I should give you a private show sometime," Eren purred and let the tip of his nose brush against Levi's, his lips ghosting teasingly over the painter's.

"Maybe you should," Levi murmured and closed the gab between them again. He kissed Eren a bit more roughly this time, letting his tongue run over the brunette's upper lip, not waiting to be allowed entrance before invading his mouth again.

Eren let a pleased sound escape his throat as he returned the kiss passionately. He let his tongue move slowly along Levi's, enjoying the familiar taste of the painter and whiskey, while digging his hand through his hair again and grabbing onto the black locks gently. Levi growled lowly, wanting Eren to grab his hair more firmly, and pulled Eren closer to deepen the kiss. He let his hands wander up and down the boys back, feeling the soft skin under the thin fabric. His hand slid down the young body and touched his ass gently. Eren moaned lowly into the kiss, encouraging Levi to continue. The latter took a firm grip on his ass, earning him another low moan.

Eren began to slowly pull Levi back towards the bed, still pulling slightly at his hair. Levi let the brunette lead him, holding him tight and kissing him over and over again.

"I wish I had come by earlier," he broke the kiss and whispered. He placed gentle kisses down Eren's neck and shoulder, licking the tanned skin, wanting to touch and taste every inch.

"You're here now," Eren whispered back, digging his nails into Levi's neck and accidentally letting out his claws in excitement.

"I'm sorry I kept you waiting," Levi hummed before letting their lips meet again, as they took a few awkward steps closer to the bed somewhere behind Eren.

"It's okay," Eren purred back against the painter's lips, "I had a client just before you got here."

"You... you what?" Levi asked, as they fell onto the bed. He landed on top of Eren and got up on his elbows to look down at the boy.

"I had a..." Eren trailed off as he noticed the serious expression in Levi's eyes. Eren looked away and bit his lip, as a frustrated frown settled on the painter's face. "I was afraid you wouldn't come. I... I had to make money."

"No, don't be sorry, I should have come by earlier," Levi cut him off, and wiped the frown off his face. He leaned down and placed a gentle kiss on Eren's lips. Eren returned the kiss but held back a little, wanting to make sure Levi was fine with it before taking it to the next step. It wasn't really like he had a choice, especially when it came to Erwin's benefiters. One of them had come by after the show, demanding to spend an hour with Eren before he went to a meeting at Erwin's office, and even though Eren preferred to wait for Levi, he really didn't have a choice.

Levi kissed Eren over and over again, desperate to remove the image of Eren with someone else from his mind. He let his hand slide up the boy's side, focusing on the feeling of his skin through the robe. He licked his lower lip and explored his mouth, feeling the sweet taste of peppermint on Eren's tongue. Eren wrapped his arms around Levi's back and let out a low sound.

The image of Eren squirming under someone else kept finding it's way to Levi's mind; Eren wrapping his arms around someone else, letting out pleased or painful sounds as someone else touched him, licked him, kissed him...

Levi jerked back and rolled over on his back, hiding his face in his hands as he breathed in deeply. He forced himself to think of something else; anything but Eren with someone else.

Eren sat up on the edge of the bed and spoke before Levi managed to explain himself; "You are mad at me," the boy said lowly and wrapped the robe tighter around his body.

"Eren, do you really like it here?" Levi asked and sat up as well. Eren looked at his hands in his lap, and Levi pulled off his jacket and moved a bit closer after placing it neatly next to him on the bed.

"What do you mean?" Eren asked, cocking his head.

"Do you like living here? Like this?"

"It is not that bad," Eren shrugged, but his voice revealed that he didn't really mean it, "Besides, I already told you; I can not leave."

"I don't want you to sleep with other men," Levi spoke honestly, admitting how much it bothered him, "I know it is not up to me to decide, but -"

"Do you believe me when I say that I love you?" Eren cut him off, as he turned his head to look at the painter. He was desperate to make sure Levi knew how he felt about him. He couldn't let anyone else know, but he was determined to let Levi know exactly how much he loved him. It wasn't like anything he had ever felt before, and Levi's affection meant so much to him.

"I do," Levi answered as he looked into Eren's sad eyes.

"Then please believe me too, when I say that I don't want to sleep with other men," Eren grabbed Levi's hands and sent him an intense look, "I do not have a choice, and please don't ask me why, but _believe me_ when I say that I only want to sleep with you." Eren looked at him with pleading eyes; he really wanted Levi to believe him. He wished he could just leave this place and only be with Levi, but that wasn't an option. Nevertheless, he wanted Levi to believe him, because he knew his feelings were genuine.

"I believe you, but then you have to trust me as well," Levi said and squeezed Eren's hands.

"I do trust -" Eren started, but Levi sent him a look that silenced him.

"You have to trust me when I say I'm going to come by later, brat. You didn't have to take that client earlier tonight. I was going to pay you for the entire night," the painter said firmly.

"Levi, I still feel like you're wasting your money on me," Eren said and looked down. He couldn't get himself to tell Levi that when it came to Erwin's benefiters, he didn't have a choice. Erwin always made sure they got exactly what they wanted, to make sure they kept supporting him.

"Stop saying that," Levi snapped, and let go of Eren's hands to rub his eyes. He loosened his cravat and opened a few buttons on his shirt, while kicking off his shoes. Then he sighed and sent Eren an apologetic look. The boy just smiled, sadness dimming his otherwise bright eyes and he looked down. "Look," Levi said softly and wrapped his arms around Eren, pulling him closer. He touched his chin and gently forced his head up to let their eyes meet; "I'm not wasting my money on you. I hate the thought of you with another man, more than you can ever imagine. It sickens me to know that you are forced to let others touch you, when I don't even want to let other people look at you. I would spend every single penny I'll ever earn for the rest of my life, to get you out of here, but since you are as popular as you are, I doubt Mister Erwin will let you go. All I can do for now is to make sure that I'm the only one you spend your nights with, and that is what I'm going to do. So don't ever say that I am wasting my money on you."

Eren gulped as his cheeks turned pink. He didn't know what to say, but Levi's words made him wish to stay in his arms forever. He had been so worried that Levi would turn to one of the other girls instead, but the fact that Levi felt the same way as he did, made his heart jump with joy. He leaned in and kissed the painter. Words couldn't describe how happy Levi's words made him, and he had to let his actions speak for him. His hand found it's way to Levi's hair again and he pulled lightly at the dark locks.

"Wait," Levi said after breaking the kiss, knowing where this was going, "I can't sleep with you tonight."

Eren sent him a puzzled look, trying to figure out if he was joking. Then his face turned to a hurt frown; he wasn't used to being rejected. Actually, he was only used to people coming to see him when they wanted to sleep with him.

"You don't find me attrac-"

"Don't even think about finishing that sentence!" Levi cut him off and locked eyes with him again, "Of course I find you attractive," he looked down at Eren's body, where the robe had loosened itself again and had slid down Eren's shoulder, revealing most of his upper body. "Very, _very_ attractive."

"Then why?" Eren asked, cocking his head in wonder.

"Because I'm not just interested in your body," Levi answered and placed a soft kiss on Eren's lips, "I truly care about you, Eren. I don't want to just sleep with you. I want to show you how much I love you."

Eren gulped again; as if Levi hadn't sweet-talked him enough already. He wasn't sure he could take much more, and he blushed deeply again.

"Y-you... love me?" he asked, hoping it wasn't just a slip of the tongue.

"I love you," Levi repeated and leaned in to close the gab between them again.

"Je t'aime," Eren whispered against Levi's lips as he melted between his arms again. Levi made him so incredibly happy, happier than he had been for years, and he wanted to pay him back somehow, yet all he could offer was his body. "Levi," he said as they broke the kiss, "Tell me how I can repay you for everything you're doing for me."

"You don't have to do anything," Levi said with a gentle smile, "I just want to spend time with you."

"But then," Eren thought for a moment, trying to come up with something he could do for the older man, "Let me give you a massage. Or I could pose for you if you want to paint me again."

"Oh, would you shut up," Levi said and pulled Eren into another kiss to silence him. Eren hummed happily against the kiss, thinking about how much he loved Levi's British accent. He pushed Levi back onto the bed before placing sweet kisses along his jawline and laying down next to him, accidentally letting his ears and tail pop out.

"You are really adorable, you know that?" Levi smiled and petted Eren's head. Eren let out a low purr before moving a bit closer to the painter.

"I want to know more about you, Levi," he said and rested his head on Levi's shoulder as the latter turned a bit to get a better look at the brunette.

"There's not much to know."

"How old are you?" Eren asked and began fiddling with Levi's shirt, not able to keep his hands away from him.

"25," Levi answered, "Turning 26 this Christmas."

"Do you have a family?"

"Yeah, in London. I rarely talk to them, though," Levi said and continued as he noticed Eren's puzzled look. Remembering that Eren had been abandoned as a child - or kitten - it wasn't surprising that he had trouble understanding why someone who actually had a family, rarely talked to them. "My parents weren't exactly thrilled when they found out I wanted to be a painter. Most people end up broke and homeless if they choose to follow that road, and I guess they didn't want to end up taking care of me. But painting is all I've ever wanted to do, and I knew I could pull it through somehow."

"And you did?" Eren asked, caught up in the story.

"Indeed. I've made a name for myself back in London, and I came to Paris to do the same," Levi said and studied Eren's mesmerizing green eyes for a moment, "Not exactly like this, though, but I guess it's something."

Eren let out a giggle. Thinking back to his first meeting with the painter, he could only imagine how this was nothing like what he had planned when he came to France. Levi smiled at Eren's sweet expression, and leaned down to kiss him again. He couldn't stop looking at him; couldn't stop touching him and caressing him.

"What is it like in London?" Eren then asked, accidentally unbuttoning Levi's shirt a bit more, and let his fingers ghost over his pale chest. Levi breathed in sharply at the touch, and reminded himself that he wouldn't sleep with Eren tonight. The boy's touch was so innocent, which made it even more arousing and knowing how easy it would be to just lean in and let his desires take over, made it almost impossible to resist.

"It's hard to explain," Levi said, trying to clear his head and remember his home-town, "Pretty similar to Paris in some ways, I guess."

"Really?" Eren asked, and let his fingers roam over Levi's neck along with the collar of his shirt. Levi managed to hide how it affected him, and Eren just wanted to know more about London. "Does it look like Paris?"

"Well," Levi said, still trying to remember what London even looked like, "Yes... and no."

"I do not understand."

"Hang on, let me show you," Levi said, and got up from the bed. He went to the table and got his drawing-equipment and brought it back to the bed. He laid down on his stomach and Eren rolled over to lie next to him as Levi spread the papers over the bed and grabbed a pencil.

"London is quite a big city, and I haven't really seen it all," Levi said, and placed the pencil against a piece of paper, "but I can show you some parts of the city. I live near the River Thames, which runs through London."

He drew a line across the paper, and began telling about his neighbourhood as he drew it on the paper. He drew the buildings as he remembered the view from his apartment, and the Tower Bridge over the River Thames. Eren listened and looked at the paper, as the drawing evolved from Levi's hand. At some point Levi removed the drawing and grabbed another paper, trying to recreate the view of Westminster Palace, complete with Big Ben, even though he had trouble remembering the little details. Eren's eyes shone as Levi told about Piccadilly Circus and he drew the large buildings and horse-drawn carriages on the wide streets.

"Amazing," Eren breathed, completely fascinated by what he had seen and heard.

"Yeah, it is actually quite nice," Levi agreed as he looked at his drawings.

"Can I..." Eren started, looking up at Levi with excited eyes, "Keep them?"

"What, the drawings?"

Eren nodded, looking at the painter with pleading eyes.

"Of course. They're yours if you want them," Levi answered, feeling his heart melting as he saw how happy Eren was as he collected the papers while his tail wiggled from side to side in excitement.

"I really wish I could see London with my own eyes," Eren said, and got up to place the drawings in a drawer of the night-stand which stood next to the bed.

Levi rolled over on his back again as Eren climbed back onto the bed and placed himself next to him again. The painter wrapped his arm around Eren and pulled him closer.

"You should," he said and placed a kiss on Eren's forehead. Had it been up to him, he would just grab Eren and bring him back to London. And keep him there.

"I can't," Eren sighed, and cuddled up against Levi. He took a deep breath through his nose, enjoying Levi's smell. "I am not even allowed to go outside unless Monsieur Erwin gives me permission to do so. If he ever found out I left this morning, he would kill me."

"You could just run away, Eren," Levi said lowly and stroked the boy's hair, "You could go back to London with me. I could take care of you."

"I can't leave," Eren simply said.

"But he can't keep an eye on you all the -"

"Until Monsieur Erwin decides to let me go," Eren said and looked up at Levi with a bitter-sweet look in his eyes, "I can only dream of the world outside these walls."

Levi settled on not getting Eren to tell him what kept him here, and leaned down to kiss him. It was obvious that the subject affected the boy, and Levi didn't want to ruin the mood with questions he wouldn't get answered anyway. He held Eren tightly, wanting to protect him from all the evil in the world, and kissed him again and again, until he could feel Eren relax in his arms and his mood had turned to the better.

They laid like that for a while, cuddled up on Eren's big bed. The moonlight shone through the windows, but they were partly hidden behind the thin curtains, and fell asleep wrapped in each others arms.

* * *

A/N: The song Eren sings in this chapter is 'I wanna be adored' by Stone Rose. One of my favourite songs actually, I think it's very beautiful ^^ Thanks to Taboo, Baiko and LoveAllAnime for being my super perfect beta-team and being a great help as well as total sweeties.

Merry Christmas!


	9. The Spell

Eren laid on his bed in the dark room, feeling restless. The show had ended half an hour ago, and he knew he had at least an hour to kill, before Levi would come by. Just as promised, the painter had come to visit him every night, preventing him from sleeping with other men. He had also come by the nightclub a few times in the daily hours to hand over posters and have short meetings with Erwin. When they ran into each other in the hallways, they had to ignore each other, but always managed to sent each other a short loving glance. One time when no one was around, Levi had pulled Eren aside and hidden them behind a curtain, giving them the opportunity to exchange needy kisses and sweet words.

He rolled over and hid his face in the pillow, blushing deeply at the bare thought of Levi's loving words. He got butterflies in his stomach every time he thought about Levi and it felt like his body was too small to contain such big feelings.

Oh, how he missed Levi, even though it was nice to have a little free-time in between the shows and Levi's visits. He really wanted to see him right now.

He knew Levi worked hard to make sure he had money to pay for Eren, and he felt guilty every time he saw how tired Levi was when he came by at night after working the entire day. The circles under his eyes seemed to darken day by day, and sometimes he looked like he was about to pass out from exhaustion. Eren did his best to make it up to him and offered Levi to do whatever he wanted, but all Levi ever asked him to do was cuddle and talk until he wasn't able to stay awake anymore. Some nights he seemed a little more energetic and he would draw and paint Eren for hours, adoring his body.

Levi always left early in the morning before Eren woke up. It was sad to wake up alone in the large bed, and Eren wanted to wish Levi a good day and kiss him goodbye, but when he asked him to wake him up before he left, Levi said that he couldn't get himself to wake him up, when he looked so cute in his sleep; he curled up like a cat as soon as Levi left his side and purred lowly when Levi nuzzled his hair as a goodbye. Every morning when Eren woke up, he found a note from Levi on the night-stand, containing loving words and a little drawing along with 80 francs.

Eren got off of the bed, and went to the table to grab the bottle of whiskey he had bought earlier that day. Erwin had let him go out to do his weekly shopping and thanks to Levi he had enough money to buy the things he needed and a bottle of whiskey for the painter. It seemed a little foolish to buy a gift for Levi for the money he had given him himself, but Eren really wanted Levi to feel comfortable when he was there.

He moved the bottle around a little, trying to make it look inviting but he realized it was his insecurities that made him feel nervous. He had a special plan for tonight. It was nice to avoid having sex for money, but he wanted Levi.

He loved that Levi wanted to spend time with him and just talk, but it wasn't enough anymore. He needed his lips and warm hands on his body, and for the first time in his life, he _wanted_ to have sex with another person. He thought about Levi all the time; dreamed about him every night, from the moment he fell asleep in his arms and right till he woke up, missing the warmth of his body. He would often wake up a couple of times during the night, move around a bit and cuddle up next to Levi again, studying his relaxed face for a moment, before going back to sleep. Levi was such a gorgeous man, and Eren loved to study his features but he often felt embarrassed about looking at him for too long.

Eren moved the whiskey-bottle back to it's original place on the table, and turned away before he would change his mind again. He walked back and forth, looking at the clock on his night-stand again and again. The time seemed to go by very slowly, and it was almost unbearable to wait for Levi tonight. He knew Levi desired him, it was obvious in the way he looked at him and touched him, but he was too good at keeping himself under control to fall for Eren's hidden attempts to seduce him. It was obvious that Levi wanted to make sure Eren knew he didn't just wanted to sleep with him, but Eren was more than ready to take the next step.

He sighed deeply at his own frustration, as he pulled on his robe and walked over to the door. Gunther was asleep as always and Eren tried to wake him up as gently as possible. The guard woke up with a loud yelp and knocked his head back against the wall, startled by Eren's sudden interfering in one of his many daily naps.

"I'm so sorry, Monsieur Gunther, I didn't mean to scare you," Eren apologized. He knew it was wise to stay on the guard's good side, he was one of Erwin's men after all. He didn't really interact much with Gunther, but he knew he was there to keep an eye on who came to Eren's room, and probably to make sure he didn't run away or went out without permission. Luckily, he didn't have to sneak behind the guard to get outside, and he was happy that Erwin hadn't figured out that he could get out through the balcony.

"Don't apologize, Mademoiselle, I shouldn't be asleep on my watch," the guard said sheepishly and scratched his neck. Eren wondered why he would say that, when both of them knew he would go right back to sleep as soon as he saw the opportunity. "Do you need anything?"

"I was wondering if you could bring me my new costume, Monsieur?" Eren asked as he leaned against the door-frame.

"I'll go ask Monsieur Erwin right away," the guard said and got up from his chair, "Just stay here."

"Of course, Monsieur," Eren said sweetly and offered him a smile, "Please tell Monsieur Erwin that I wish to practice for my next performance."

Gunther nodded and turned away, heading for Erwin's office, and Eren returned to his room. He had practiced the new song a few times with music, but Erwin wasn't satisfied with his performance. Eren knew it was due to Levi, who kept popping up in his head, making it hard for him to concentrate on, well, basically everything. Erwin had ordered Eren to pull himself together and practice the act on his own. Since he was waiting for Levi anyway, now was probably a good time to go through the act.

A couple of minutes later Eren heard a knock on the door. His heart skipped a beat until he remembered it was probably Gunther who had returned with the costume.

Instead of Gunther, Eren saw Sasha standing in the hallway as he opened the door. Eren looked at her in wonder, and wrapped the robe tighter around his body.

"Can I help you?" he asked with a puzzled expression.

"Monsieur Gunther was walking around helplessly in the wardrobe, looking for your new costume," Sasha said and sent him a smile, "I offered him to bring it to you. The poor man looked like he was about to have a mental breakdown. I think all the costumes look the same to him."

Eren smiled in slight amusement. He could imagine the guard feeling completely out of place between the many costumes, and probably with a couple of girls changing clothes down there too.

Sasha handed him a neatly folded stack of black and green clothes and Eren reached out to accept it.

"Thank you," he said and made a move to close the door again.

"Chasseuse," Sasha said and placed her hand against the door. Her expression had turned serious and she locked eyes with the other dancer. "Don't let Annie get to you. She thinks the painter is filthy rich and she wants a part of it. She's only trying to make you insecure."

"I don't know what you're talking about," Eren said coldly, trying to cover up the truth. He had tried his best to hide his and Levi's relationship, and not get affected by Annie and Ymir's comments. No matter how many times Levi told him he loved him, Eren was still afraid Levi would realize one day, that he was only a lousy whore and leave him for someone better. "I don't care about neither Annie nor the painter."

Sasha smiled and tilted her head. "I understand. I just thought I should mention that I've noticed the way he looks at you. He would never let anyone take your place."

Eren was taken aback by her words, looking at her with wide eyes. He tried to figure out how to assure her nothing was going on between them, but Sasha just smiled at his reaction and let go of the door.

"I'm going to get myself a snack now, I'm starving," she beamed and turned away from the door, "Have a nice evening -" she looked back at him "- Eren."

The boy looked after her as she skipped down the hallway, heading for the kitchen. It seemed like he could trust her, but he still thought it wisely to keep the secret to himself.

Gunther returned to his post with a pillow and Eren apologized for sending him on the impossible mission, before closing the door again with the costume in his arms. He walked over to the mirror and placed the clothes on a chair before letting the robe slide off of his shoulders and pool behind his feet on the floor, revealing his naked body bathed in the moonlight. He enjoyed being naked and looking at his body in the mirror. He turned around and looked at the reflection of his ass, pushing it out a bit to make it look more inviting. He wiggled it and wondered what kind of look would work on Levi.

Deciding he should get the practice over with, he turned to the chair and grabbed the pair of black lace panties and held them out in front of him to find out which side was the front. He pulled them on and checked out his ass in the mirror again. The panties only covered the lowest half of his butt and were held together with thin silk strings over the upper part of his rear. They looked like they were painted on his bum and Eren wondered if Levi would come and watch the show if he knew he wore something like this. The painter hadn't watched the shows since the night he performed with _'The Lovecats'_, and even though Eren understood why Levi had to work, he really loved to be on stage knowing that Levi was watching him. It would be nice if he had the time to come see it, just once in a while.

Eren turned around to see what the panties looked like on the front. The black strings were braided over his hips, fitting perfectly over his tanned skin. Over the lacy front were a large green silk-bow, covering most of his crotch and bouncing lightly every time he moved his hips.

He grabbed the black garters from the chair and placed them around his hip over the edge of the panties. Then he gently pulled on the green lace stockings, making sure not to rip the fragile fabric, and locked them onto the garters. He straightened the stockings and noticed how weird it felt to touch his thighs through the transparent fabric. It almost felt like someone else touched him. He closed his eyes and tried to imagine it was Levi's hands, as he let his fingers run up his thigh. It was nothing compared to the painter's touch.

Eren looked at himself in the mirror again and turned to see every angle of his new costume. He let his tail pop out between the garters and panties, just to check if it was possible. How anyone could find that attractive was beyond his comprehension; it was just a butt and a tail. He let a bitter-sweet huff escape his lips as he turned to the chair again, letting the tail grow back. The fact that men found him attractive was his only way to make money, otherwise he wouldn't be there. He could be somewhere else, probably poor and living on the streets, but at least he wouldn't have to sell his body. But then he would never have met Levi.

Eren sighed and grabbed the corset from the chair. Levi was the only really good thing about being here. He actually liked to perform; it was fun to sing and dance, and he would be lying if he said that he didn't enjoy the attention, but he really wished it didn't have to be like this.

He swung the corset around his back and locked the buttons on the front. It was very short and revealed most of his stomach, only leaving his chest covered. It was made from black laces, similar to the panties and with green ribbons on the edges and zig-zagging up on the sides. After he had buttoned it, he pulled it up a bit, only to feel it slide down again. He had apparently lost a bit of weight since it was made, and he had to tighten it on the back to make sure it stayed in place.

He pulled on his most comfortable pair of black high heels, and looked at the final result in the mirror. He had definitely lost some weight and his hair was getting longer; his bangs fell into his eyes and covered his ears by now. He dug his hands through the brown locks and ruffled his hair, making it look like bed-hair. He stroke a pose in front of the mirror, sending himself bedroom-eyes while cocking his hip. He smiled and decided that he actually looked pretty good. Maybe if Levi saw him like this, he wouldn't be able to hold back.

Eren smirked and winked at his reflection, and let all his inhibitions fall; not that he was shy in the first place, but completely letting go of his self-consciousness made it easier to perform. He warmed up his voice while studying himself in the mirror and moved his hips slowly from side to side. He practiced a few poses in front of the mirror, constantly thinking about how it would affect Levi if he could see him.

_"I put a spell on you,"_ he sang and swung his hips smoothly from side to side, snapping his fingers to the beat and keeping the other hand on his waist. _"Because you're mine."_

He continued singing, happy to realize that he had finally managed to learn the lyrics. It was a bit hard to move as instructed while singing, since the corset was tight and the singing required deep breaths. He pushed out his ass and knelt down slowly, while letting his hands run over his thighs.

_"You better stop the -"_

He was interrupted by a loud knock on the door, and looked up. His heart skipped a beat again, as he looked over his shoulder at the clock on the night-stand. It was still a bit early for Levi to come by, but Gunther knew he wasn't taking any other clients tonight. Eren grabbed his robe while getting on his feet, almost tripping in the high heels before kicking them off. He ran towards the door while wrapping the robe around his body.

"Levi!" he yelled happily, as he laid eyes on the painter after opening the door. The older man returned the greeting with a smile, never getting tired of how happy Eren seemed every time he saw him. "Why are you knocking? You know you can just enter."

"Tell that to that idiotic gorilla of a guard," Levi said and sent Gunther a dirty look, "He told me you were busy and that I shouldn't interrupt you."

Gunther obviously had trouble understanding every word Levi said, but from the look on his face, he had figured out it was an insult.

"Oh, I suppose Monsieur Gunther just wanted to make sure I could practice in peace," Eren said and leaned in to sent the guard a smile, just to make sure Levi wouldn't get in trouble, "Merci, Monsieur Gunther."

The smile and polite words apparently did the trick and the guard closed his eyes and leaned back against the wall again.

"Lazy sod," Levi huffed, just before Eren pulled him inside and closed the door behind him.

"Are you always that provocative?" Eren asked the painter and sent him a bright smile, loving the way Levi never held back.

"I'm just honest," Levi smirked and lifted his eyebrow in defense. He leaned his hands against the door, trapping Eren between his arms.

"Have you ever gotten beat up because you're _'just being honest'_?" Eren asked, sending Levi a teasing smile.

"What, you think I'm some fragile weakling?" Levi said and leaned in, his face inches away from Eren's.

"No," Eren said lowly and wrapped his arms around Levi's body, "I think you're very strong and handsome." He closed the gap between them and let his lips meet Levi's in a hungry kiss, wanting to show Levi just how much he had missed him since he left that morning. Levi moved his hands from the door to Eren's back and held him tightly while returning the kiss.

"Well, you've got that right," he said as they let their lips part again, and he sent the boy an adoring glance, "That, and I am very good at talking myself out of trouble."

"I bet you are," Eren giggled and let out a low purr as he kissed Levi again.

Levi let his hand brush through Eren's soft hair and let his tongue slip into his mouth as the boy parted his lips, welcoming him. Eren returned the kiss, but let Levi dominate it as always, trusting the older man to take good care of him. Levi sighed against Eren's lips, feeling all his tensions slowly fading away. He trusted Eren completely, but he felt anxious every time he had to leave him. He was afraid to find Eren in another man's arms one day; not because Eren would want to, but because Erwin would force him to. While walking back to Hanji's apartment every morning, worst-case scenarios would pop into his head and roam in his mind all day, right until he could hold Eren in his arms again. He felt powerless, knowing he couldn't do anything to get Eren out of there.

"Did I interrupt something?" Levi asked kindly after breaking the kiss again.

"No! No, not at all," Eren reassured him and pulled a bit at his jacket, eager to kiss him again.

"Were you practicing?" Levi asked, trying to make his words understandable against Eren's lips.

"Yes, but -" Eren kissed him again, needing more than just little sweet kisses, "- it doesn't matter."

"New act?" Levi murmured, trying to return the kiss between his words.

"Mhm," Eren hummed against the painter's lips, wishing Levi would just shut up and kiss him properly.

Levi grabbed Eren's shoulders and pulled him away gently, making it impossible for Eren to attack him again. He looked at the boy and smiled; it was flattering that Eren wanted to kiss him so badly. It made him feel like Eren had missed him just as much as Levi had missed the boy, but he preferred to be allowed to form an entire sentence without being cut off, even if it was with a kiss. Eren sent him a sweet smile in return, trying to hypnotize him to kiss him again.

"You should finish your practice then," Levi said and placed a gentle kiss on Eren's forehead. Eren really loved that Levi treated him so kindly. Up until he met Levi, he had often felt alone, but Levi really made him feel loved. He felt like he was actually worth something. But right now, he wanted more than to be treated kindly. He wanted Levi to touch and kiss him, he wanted to feel how much he wanted him.

"No, I do not want to think about work, when I'm with you," Eren said and clung onto Levi, afraid he would leave again and come back later.

"I don't want your work to get affected by my visits," Levi stated, and his face turned serious, "If Erwin finds out about us, you might get in trouble. I don't trust him."

"Don't go," Eren whispered while sending Levi a pleading look. He had missed him so much, he couldn't bear if he left again now.

"Of course not, I won't leave," Levi said and pulled Eren into a tight embrace, "I have been looking forward to seeing you all day. I'll work while you practice."

Levi placed another gentle kiss on Eren's lips, before retreating to the table, to get his watercolours and some paper. He had left the equipment there, since it seemed foolish to bring it back and forth everyday, just in case he suddenly felt inspired. Even though he was sick and tired of painting every night when he left Hanji's apartment after working on the posters the entire day, when it came to painting Eren, it was just different.

Eren watched Levi as he sat down by the table and stacked the papers neatly in front of him. The boy thought about what to do; it would be wise to practice the act, but he really wanted Levi's attention. All of it.

"Levi," Eren said sweetly and moved over to the table, leaning his butt against the surface next to the painter, "Maybe I could give you that private performance now?"

"What do you mean?" Levi asked, looking at the boy curiously.

"I mean -" Eren purred and let the robe slide off of his shoulders to reveal the costume underneath, "- I'd like you to look at me."

Levi looked him up and down, letting his eyes wander over Eren's naked stomach, his ribbon-covered hips and his long legs in the green lacy-stockings. His face remained expressionless, but it was obvious he felt tempted to accept the offer. Then he locked eyes with Eren, who sent him an innocent look, completely opposite to his seductive voice.

"Very well then," Levi said calmly and turned the chair to face the boy.

Eren smiled sweetly and let the robe fall to the floor as he moved away from the table, making sure to give Levi a good view of his ass.

"Just give me a moment," he said and moved to the other side of the table to bring Levi a glass of whiskey. As he poured the liquid, he told himself that now was the time to seduce the painter. He had to make him lose all inhibitions. He could feel Levi's eyes on him, and he really hoped he couldn't see his hands shaking. Why was he even so nervous? He had done this a million times and he had never been nervous about performing before. He knew the song, he knew how to move his body; even if he forgot the moves, he could just improvise and do what felt good.

Levi smiled as he watched Eren, but Eren was too caught up in his own thoughts to notice. He seemed a bit flustered tonight and it was really cute. Levi just wanted to grab him and make him even more flustered. He looked so good in that outfit. Eren had probably no idea how sexy he was and how good his ass looked in those very revealing panties. It was almost irresistible.

Eren placed the glass in front of Levi, locking eyes with him for a moment while he bit his lip. Levi remained calm and just took a sip while Eren went back to the mirror to check his costume one last time.

"Eren," Levi murmured, "You're very beautiful."

Eren smiled seductively and turned away from the mirror. He was still nervous, but he had to hide it. After four years as a prostitute, he had learned to be a good actor.

"Are you ready?" he purred while stepping into his black heels again.

"Always," Levi said calmly, a smirk playing on the corner of his mouth.

Eren closed his eyes and took a deep breath. He let his hand run through his hair and over his neck to calm himself was just a performance like any other. He was good at this and there was no turning back now, not with Levi sitting a few steps away, focusing all his attention on him.

Levi watched as Eren let his fingers through his brown locks and let them caress his neck. Even when Eren touched himself like that, Levi felt his desire grow. He wanted to give in, but it was important for him to make sure Eren knew that he loved him no matter what.

Eren opened his eyes and placed one hand on his hip, and began snapping his fingers with the other.

_"I put a spell on you,  
because you're mine,"_ Eren sang while moving his hips slowly from side to side, making the green bow on his panties bounce lightly. The moonlight enveloped him and made him look like a fairytale-creature, as his eyes shone dangerously, making the green colour of his clothes seem pale compared to his eyes.

_"You better stop the things you do,  
I said watch out, I ain't lying."_ Eren stroke a pose, pushing his ass to the side and tilting his head to expose his neck. He let his fingers run from his waist up his side, and further up to touch his collarbone and neck. He looked at Levi through half-lidded eyes. Levi let his eyes rest on Eren's hypnotizing hips, but his face still showed no expression. Eren decided to knock the performance up a notch. He had to break Levi's self-control.

_"I can't stand it,  
because you're running around,"_ Eren sang and knelt down slowly while letting his hands run over his inner thighs. He forced himself to keep the eye-contact with Levi, as his knees hit the floor.

_"I can't stand it,  
because you're putting me down,"_ he continued while spreading his legs and sending Levi a seductive look. It was a nerve-wrecking game, and he wouldn't know what to do with himself if Levi still managed to keep his cool after the performance. He let a low pant escape his lips as he felt his own fingers against his inner-thighs, roaming over his crotch.

_"So I - I put a spell on you,  
because you're mine,  
Oh, you're mine."_

Eren leaned forwards and placed his hand on the floor. He slowly began crawling towards Levi, making sure to move his butt from side to side to give Levi a good look at it. Levi studied Eren's movements, and as the boy slowly moved closer to him, the painter grabbed his almost full glass and emptied it. He never took his eyes away from Eren's.

_"You better stop the things you're doing,  
I said watch out, I ain't lying,  
Oh, I ain't lying,"_ Eren purred, beginning to feel at ease about the whole act. The way Levi tossed down the rest of his whiskey, revealed something his face still managed to hide; what Eren was doing worked.

Eren got back on his feet again gracefully, still keeping Levi's eyes locked with his own. He sent him a flirtatious smirk and placed his foot on the edge of Levi's chair, barely letting his heel touch the painter's thigh. The boy placed his hands on his hips again and began moving them from side to side.

_"Because baby, I love you,  
can't you see that I love you,"_ he sang lowly. He noticed how Levi's fingers itched to touch his leg, but Eren refused to move in closer before Levi gave in.

_"I love you, I love you,  
even if you don't love me too."_

Levi looked up at Eren at those last words. Eren's shining green eyes were as inviting as ever. It was hard for the painter not to let his eye wander lower down his body, when it was positioned right in front of him, practically begging for his touch. _Begging for his touch._

Levi moved his hand to Eren's ankle and let it slide up the calf of his leg. Eren released a pleased sound as he slid down to straddle the painter. He could feel Levi's hand run further up his leg and grabbed onto the back of his thigh.

_"I put a spell on you, yes I did,  
because you're mine, you're mine,"_ Eren purred lowly against Levi's ear, before placing his hand on the older man's knee behind him, and leaning back to give him another flirtatious smile and let Levi look at his body. Feeling Levi's hungry eyes wander over his body, made a wave of heat run through Eren's body.

Levi let his fingers ghost over Eren's exposed stomach, and Eren pushed his ass closer to Levi's crotch. The painter got the hint and let his hand wander over the boy's abdomen and waist. He felt the soft skin against his palm and craved more.

_"So I - I put a spell on you,_  
_because you're mine,"_ Eren purred again and ground his ass against Levi's lap.

Levi looked at the erotic sight in front of him, as his mind turned empty. He let his hand run over Eren's stomach again and tightened his grip on his thigh. Eren let out a deep sigh and the painter grabbed both thighs and pulled the brunette closer.

Eren leaned in and wrapped his arms around Levi's neck, while parting his legs further. His crotch ground against Levi's and he let out another sigh as his dick twitched.

_"You're mine,"_ Eren whispered against Levi's ear and dug his hands through his black locks. He could feel the painter's hands slide up his thighs through the laces surrounding them, and over the naked skin to his half-exposed butt. He placed a soft kiss on Levi's ear-lope, hoping he wouldn't stop this time.

Levi hissed and tightened his grip on Eren's ass, as the boy gently pulled his hair. He inhaled the smell of Eren's neck and placed a kiss on his collarbone. His mind had stopped working. He just had to have Eren now.

Eren let out a muffled sound by the soft kiss and pulled Levi's hair again, encouraging him to continue. Levi gave in and parted his lips to trail wet kisses over Eren's neck and shoulder. The obsessive yet gentle touch made Eren purr lowly and he nibbled on Levi's ear-lope while letting his hands slide down and pull off the painter's jacket. Levi let go of Eren's ass to let the sleeves slide off his arms, before letting his hands move up Eren's thighs again.

"Levi," Eren purred against the painter's neck and let his lips ghost over the pale skin, while loosening his cravat and slowly unbuttoning his shirt,"I don't want you to pay me tonight."

Levi pulled Eren back a bit to look at him. His green eyes shone in the dark room, and he looked back at the painter with an intense look. His lips were slightly parted and their faces were close enough for Levi to feel his warm breath.

"Eren, I've already told you -" Levi started, but Eren placed a finger on his lip and let his other hand caress his chest.

"I don't want to be a prostitute. Not tonight," he whispered back and moved his finger from Levi's lip to let him answer. Levi studied Eren's face for a moment before closing the gab between them. He accepted Eren's request, promising himself to make up for it in some other way. Eren sighed happily against the kiss and parted his lips to let Levi explore his mouth. He tugged at Levi's shirt, and Levi let go of him again to let him pull the clothes off. His hands found Eren's waist again soon after, and slid up his stomach to free him from the corset. Eren leaned back a bit to let Levi's hands work, but never broke the kiss. He nuzzled the nape of his neck, while Levi unbuttoned the tight piece of clothes, and Eren breathed in deeply as it fell to the ground, finally allowing him to breath properly again. Levi's hands slid all the way up Eren's back, pulling him deeper into the kiss and Eren responded by throwing his arms over Levi's shoulders and digging his hands through his hair again.

Levi growled into Eren's mouth, and it dawned on him how it affected the painter. He began to slowly massage his scalp with his fingertips, and felt Levi's grip on him tighten. He moved one hand down to grab Eren's ass again, and wrapped the other arm tightly around his waist. Eren pulled at his hair lightly, and let a muffled moan escape as Levi pulled him closer, roughly, making their crotches grind against each other.

Levi felt Eren's barely hidden erection rub against the growing bulge in his own pants and thrust forwards unwillingly. Eren broke the kiss to let a low moan escape his throat and smashed his lips against Levi's again, while pulling harder at his hair.

"For Christ sake, Eren," Levi hissed and made a sudden movement to get up on his feet while holding on tightly to Eren's ass to keep him in place.

Eren responded with another moan as Levi's crotch ground against his own again, and he wrapped his legs around Levi. His black heels fell to the ground, as Eren held onto him tightly while Levi smashed their lips against each other again and invaded his mouth. Levi walked towards the bed with Eren clinging onto him. The painter massaged his butt firmly, while kissing him greedily. Eren could feel the heat run up his spine and made him extremely conscious of how turned on he was. He wrapped his legs tighter around Levi, making their clothed erections grind against each other again.

Levi knelt down on the bed and let himself fall forwards, landing on top of Eren. He let out another low moan as he felt Levi's weight on top of him and he jerked his hips upwards. Levi pressed his crotch down against Eren's, and broke the kiss to trail wet kisses down his neck and collarbone. Eren breathed out sharply and let his head fall back. Levi's lips felt so good against his skin, and his warm tongue made Eren crave more. He moaned out as Levi bit down lightly on the spot between his neck and shoulder, and he grabbed onto his hair again.

Levi bit down a bit harder, as Eren pulled his hair, playing with the tanned skin between his teeth. Something in him wanted to rip the boy's clothes off and have him right then and there, but at the same time, he wanted to kiss every inch of his skin, touch him everywhere and spend the entire night caressing the young body.

Eren let another sound escape his lips as Levi's hand slid up his side. He had never felt anything like this before, the arousal grew in his body, and he needed more. He squirmed under the painter, trying to grind their erections against each other and moved his head from side to side as Levi's mouth moved over his neck. He grabbed onto Levi's shoulders and tried to push him over to his back, wanting to take the lead and get going.

Levi refused to let Eren have his way, and held him down gently with the weight of his own body. He moved lower down Eren's body, kissing his chest and let his tongue ghost over his nipple. Eren moaned again and arched his back off of the mattress. Levi enjoyed every sound he made; it sounded like music in his ears and made the heat grow in his lower stomach. His pants felt uncomfortably tight but all his attention was on Eren. He loved him more than anything, and wanted to do whatever it took to make him feel better than ever.

He kissed the hardening nub and left a wet trail over Eren's chest, to the other nipple. He let his tongue play with it, while Eren began panting and tugging harder at his hair. Oh, if only the boy knew what he was doing to him.

Eren squirmed under him, desperate for more. He wanted Levi, he needed him! He kept his eyes shut tightly and wasn't really aware of the many sounds escaping his lips by now. He could feel Levi trail kisses lower down his body; over his chest, down his stomach and gently caressing his navel. It felt so good, but then it suddenly stopped and he felt Levi's soft locks slip through his fingers. He opened his eyes to look down between his legs, where Levi sat up and looked at him with fiery grey eyes.

"Levi," Eren breathed and got up on his elbows. He could see the desire burn in Levi's otherwise calm eyes.

"Ssh, don't move," Levi whispered and moved his hands slowly up the boy's thigh. Eren let his head fall back again with a low moan, released by the light touch. Levi's fingers felt like they were burning against his skin and sent sparks though his entire body. His dick twitched behind the green bow as he felt the painter's fingertips on his inner-thigh.

Levi leaned down a bit as his fingers reached the edge of the lace-stocking and unbuttoned the locks from the garters. It was hard to see what he was doing in the dark room, but he managed. He lifted Eren's leg and pulled the stocking down slowly, while trailing kisses down his thigh, knee, the calf of his leg, and ankle. Eren tried to keep his breathing under control, but it was hard. He had never really been touched on his legs, which only made them that much more sensitive. Levi's lips moved teasingly slow but Eren could feel his love in every single caress. Levi finished off with a soft kiss on top of Eren's foot, and looked up at the boy's pleasure-filled face.

"God, Eren, why are you so beautiful?" he said lowly and let his hand trail up the leg again as he placed it on the mattress again. He gave the other leg the same treatment, kissing and touching every nook and beauty-spot.

"Levi," Eren moaned as the painter kissed his ankle. When Levi gently let his foot back on the mattress, Eren got up on his knees and crawled on top on Levi, straddling him again. He wrapped his arms around him and kissed him deeply.

Levi could feel Eren's erection twitch against his abdomen and his body heated up fast. He let his hands wander up and down Eren's back, until they found the lock to the garters. He spend a moment trying to unlock it, before it finally obeyed and he tossed it away. He wrapped his arms around Eren again and held him close, while Eren let his hands wander to Levi's hair again. If he had guessed correct, this was what would make Levi go wild. He pulled a bit harder than intended, and Levi broke the kiss with a needy growl, letting his head fall backwards. It took Eren a moment to figure out if he had been too rough, but as he felt Levi's dick twitch through his pants, he got his answer.

Eren used the opportunity to attack Levi's exposed neck and placed wet kisses all the way from his collarbone to his ear. While nibbling at the soft skin, he moved back a bit and let go of the soft locks. He let his hands fall to Levi's crotch and unbuttoned his pants with skilled fingers and let a hand slide inside.

Levi jerked forwards with a gasp and he felt Eren's hand against his dick through his underwear. He grabbed Eren's ass and leaned his head against the boy's shoulder, while Eren let his palm rub against Levi's erection. He let his free hand trail up his arm, feeling the muscles move under the skin as the grip tightened on his ass. He rubbed a little harder, until he felt Levi's hands move from his ass to his hips, tugging lightly at the edge of his panties. Eren leaned back and cupped Levi's face with his free hand, forcing his face up gently and placed a soft kiss on his lips. He locked eyes with the painter as he moved back and got up on his knees. He helped Levi pull his panties down, exposing his erection as the clothes slid off his crotch. He moved to the edge of the bed and got up on his feet to let the panties fall to the floor.

Levi moved to the edge of the bed and swung his legs out to let his feet hit the floor. Eren knelt down and pulled at the edge of Levi's pants, while still keeping the eye-contact. Levi lifted his ass off of the bed and let Eren pull his pants and underwear off along with his socks. The painter sat down again, and Eren looked at Levi's dick in front of him. He felt the urge to touch and taste it, but settled on placing a gentle kiss on each of Levi's inner-thighs before getting up again. No matter how tempting it felt to play with Levi's dick, Eren really needed to have Levi penetrate him soon.

"Stay there," he whispered hoarsely, and walked over to the night-stand. Levi looked after him and enjoyed the view of his ass in the moonlight. He had seen him naked a couple of times by now, but this was different. The previous times Eren had been naked in front of him, was when he was painting him. The last thing he would think about doing now was paint.

Eren took a jar from one of the drawers and returned to the bed with it in his hand. He pulled off the lid and placed both on the bed next to Levi. He spread his legs and straddled him again. Levi welcomed him by letting his hands slide up his thighs and kissing him passionately. Eren moaned into the kiss as his dick ground against Levi's. Levi invaded his mouth again, encouraging Eren's tongue to dance with his own, while he let his hand wander to the boy's crotch and let his thumb run over the base of his cock. Eren moaned again and grabbed Levi's wrist.

"W-wait," he panted and looked into Levi's clouded grey orbs, "Just give me a moment."

He dug his fingers into the jar and covered his fingers with Vaseline and moved the hand to his backside.

"Wait," Levi said hoarsely and stopped Eren, "Let me. I want to make you feel good. Just tell me what to do."

Eren studied him for a moment; he really just wanted to get to it, but at the same time, he needed Levi's touch everywhere. The painter's hands and fingers felt so much better than his own, and he surrendered and moved back a little. He grabbed Levi's right hand and held it out between them. They looked down at it, both still panting, while Eren covered Levi's fingers in the Vaseline from his own hand.

"Y-you just have to..." Eren paused, trying to find the right words, but his head was clouded and it was difficult. He locked eyes with the older man, trying to get the message across without having to put it onto words. He led Levi's hand in between his parted legs and placed his finger-tips against his entrance. "Just - _ahh,_" he moaned as Levi began rubbing his fingers against the tight hole.

Levi took it as a sign that he was on the right track, and kept rubbing gently against the entrance. Eren's hands grabbed onto his right arm as he let his head rest against Levi's shoulder. The gentle touch sent shivers down his spine and his dick twitched every time Levi's finger threatened to slip inside.

"Je veux plus," Eren panted and turned his head to place a sloppy kiss on Levi's neck.

"Pardon me?" Levi asked with a heavy voice, and grabbed onto Eren's butt with his free hand.

_"I want more!"_ Eren moaned and dug his nails into Levi's arm. Levi did as asked and let his index finger slip inside Eren, earning him another moan. Levi could feel Eren's trembling breath next to his ear, and see his shoulders shake in front of him. Eren pulled at Levi's arm, trying to get him to move his finger deeper inside him, but Levi moved painfully slow. Being too eager and accidentally hurting Eren, was the last thing he wanted to do. He could feel the warmth surrounding his finger as it slid in as deep as possible. Eren turned his head and panted against Levi's neck, and his hot breath made Levi's erection twitch.

"Move," Eren panted desperately and Levi let his finger move out slowly, just to move back inside at the same slow pace. Eren felt like he was about to turn mad; he wasn't sure if Levi was tormenting him or if he was just being gentle towards him, but either way it was unbearable. It felt so good, but it wasn't nearly enough. His mind failed to form sentences in English, and he let his hand slide in between his legs and grabbed Levi's hand. He led Levi to use one more finger and after a few slow thrusts, he made him add another one. He gasped against his lover's neck and jerked his hips forward to get Levi to move faster. The movement made his dick to rub against Levi's and the latter felt a shiver run through his body, causing him on crook his fingers a bit. Eren let a loud moan escape his lips as Levi's fingers brushed against his prostate. He couldn't wait anymore, he needed Levi - now!

Eren rose to his knees again and let Levi's fingers slip out of him as he moved in closer. He wrapped his arm around Levi's neck and grabbed his dick with the other hand. Levi hissed at the sudden touch, but responded by grabbing Eren's ass again. Eren placed Levi's erection against his entrance and let it slip inside him slowly. Levi panted harder as he felt the warmth surrounding his dick, and his grip on Eren's ass tightened. Eren let go of his cock as soon as he had swallowed up the tip, and moved his hand to Levi's neck. Thanks to Levi's gentle treatment, it didn't hurt at all and Eren kissed him deeply. Their tongues moved eagerly against each other as Eren let Levi penetrate him, low gasps and moans disappearing into the kiss.

Eren let another loud moan escape as he pushed himself further down, taking in Levi's entire length. He smashed his lips against the painters, who returned the kiss passionately. He let his hand wander to Eren's dick and took a firm grip. Eren gasped when Levi spread the remaining Vaseline over his erection. He dug his nails into Levi's back and jerked his hips forward into Levi's hand. The painter's dick rubbed against his prostate and Eren let his head fall back with a loud gasp.

Levi bit his lip as Eren's warm insides moved around him. He leaned in and kissed Eren's neck, wanting to provoke more moans.

Eren grabbed his hair again and pulled his head back, earning him a hoarse growl. Eren licked Levi's lower lip and Levi pulled him in closer and invaded his mouth. Eren slowly lifted his ass off of Levi's lap, letting his dick slide halfway out and moving back down again. He moaned into the kiss when Levi grabbed his ass and thrust upwards, hitting his sweet spot again. Eren moved up again, slowly picking up his pace. The heat burned in his body and he began to feel light-headed as Levi's tip hit his prostate over and over, pushing him closer to release.

Levi panted hard by the tight feeling around his dick. He placed wet kisses on every part of Eren he could reach, just to distract himself a bit from the burning feeling in his body. Eren was so beautiful and sexy, and completely irresistible. Levi bit down on the spot between his neck and shoulder and sucked on the soft skin. Eren responded with a high-pitched moan and slammed his ass down on Levi's dick. Levi let out a breathy moan and let go of the tanned skin between his teeth.

Eren claimed his mouth and slammed his ass down again. Levi jerked his hips upwards to meet Eren's pace and grabbed his twitching erection again. He wanted to make sure Eren finished first, and hopefully it wouldn't take too long, as Levi felt like he could climax at any given moment. He looked at Eren through half-lidded eyes and Eren returned the glance with glassy green orbs. Levi began stroking Eren's dick, and Eren broke the kiss to let out another loud moan.

"_Haah_ - Levi, ne vous arrêtez pas! _Ahh_ - je veux plus! Je t'aime tellement, je ne veux pas personne d'autre que vous. _Hnn_ - s'il vous plaît n'arrêtez pas, s'il vous plaît n'arrêtez pas! Vous êtes fantastique, me touche! Je t'aime! Je t'aime!" Eren moaned and clung onto Levi. The painter had no idea what he was saying between the delicious moans, but the sweet and needy voice was enough to let him know he should continue. He tightened his grip on Eren's dick and matched the strokes with the pace Eren rode him in. Eren's voice grew as Levi's cock filled him over and over, pushing him closer to the edge with each thrust. As Eren began trembling in Levi's arm, the painter picked up the pace a bit, afraid he would beat him to the line. Eren's hands dug through his hair and pulled his head back. As Levi moaned by the sensation, Eren invaded his mouth and whined against the kiss, begging for Levi to push him over the edge.

Levi tensed up to hold his release back, and gave Eren's dick a few hard strokes before Eren finally broke the kiss, moaning the painter's name out loud and climaxed. He shot his seed into Levi's hand with a few trembling thrusts, and pulled harder at the black locks between his fingers. As he tightened around Levi's dick and pulled his hair hard, the older man thrust up hard and felt the heat explode through the lower part of his stomach. He released into Eren with a few sharp pants and wrapped his arms around his waist. He held the trembling boy close as he filled him up, earning him a few pleased sounds as Eren rode out their orgasms.

Eren went limp in Levi's arms and the painter let his back hit the mattress with Eren on top of him. They were both panting hard, trying to catch their breaths. Eren nuzzled his nose against Levi's neck and he wrapped his arms tighter around the young body in response.

"Je t'aime," Eren whispered softly as his breath slowly returned to normal. Levi turned his head to place a kiss on his forehead, not feeling that words could describe his feelings right now.

Eren lifted his head off of his shoulder to let their lips meet in a lazy kiss. Levi stroked his back gently as their lips moved against each other.

"I love you," the painter whispered as he broke the kiss, and Eren rested his head on his shoulder again, purring lowly.

"You're mine," Eren mumbled and breathed in Levi's smell through his nose. The soft caress of his back and the sound of Levi's calm breathing made him feel like they had melted together. He was so madly in love with Levi, it felt like his heart was about to burst. Right now, he felt like he wouldn't be able to live without him. He pushed his hands underneath the painter's shoulders and held onto him tightly. He never wanted to let go.

"You're mine," Levi whispered back and kissed Eren's temple.

* * *

A/N: Thank you for reading, and as always, I hope you enjoyed it. Thanks to my lovely beta's; Baiko, Taboo and LoveAllAnime *love*

The song Eren sings for Levi is 'I put a spell on you'. I think it's an old song, but the version I listened to while writing this, is by Josh Stone. onlooker recommended it on AO3, and it just fit in perfectly.

As usual, reviews are greatly appreciated!


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